Selfish Little Secrets
by Caribou Kid
Summary: On a pleasure cruise down to Mexico, Lee Crane and Harriman Nelson find terror from an unwelcomed denizen from the deep. A sequel to: All Things in Their Own Time
1. Chapter 1

Note: A big shout out to Chloe for the inspiration. An even bigger Bravo Zulu to my crack Beta squad for their assistance in polishing this story up. Thank you all very much.

 **Selfish Little Secrets**

By

Caribou Kid

"ENOUGH! I'm not giving you another damn drop!" The irate voice of Lee Crane, captain of the SSRN Seaview, blasted through the door and walls of his room and down the Med Bay hallway. The outburst immediately reached the nurse's station making them all cringe and give serious thought to evacuating the wing. In addition to the Med Bay staff, the adamant declaration was also heard by Admiral Harriman Nelson, founder and director of the Nelson Institute of Marine Research, and Chip Morton, Seaview's Executive Officer, as they exited the elevator and made their way down the corridor towards Lee's room.

"Damn it Lee, I'm just trying to do my job to ensure you're healthy and there are no side effects from that shot the admiral administered! Just suck it up and give me your arm," Jamieson thundered back.

"Uh oh," Chip remarked quietly. "I think Typhoon Lee has just hit shore and Hurricane Jamieson is close on its tail."

"Come on Chip, we best hurry before there's bloodshed and Jamie's the one making the donation," Nelson replied as they both quickened their pace to a near run down the hall to Lee's room.

"No! I've had enough. You've had me penned up here for over two weeks. There have been no negative side effects from the injection. You yourself have stated that my vitals are text book perfect, there have been no indications of any foreign compounds in my bloodstream for over a week, no signs of genetic mutation, and no lingering nightmares to deal with. You have no reason for keeping me here. I _**AM**_ going home," Lee replied as he walked across the room opened the wardrobe and started to pull out his jeans and shirt.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going? I haven't released you yet, _Captain_ ," Jamie fired back. "You're not cleared for duty so there's no way you're going to get on Seaview without my okay."

Lee's face clouded and he narrowed his eyes as he regarded the CMO. "I'm going home. If the only way I can do that is to resign, then so be it, but one way or the other I'm outta here," he replied in a low and menacing tone.

Jamie stepped back stunned by Lee's response. "And you don't think that response is unusual or out of character?!"

"It's perfectly within character. I'm tired of being held prisoner; there is no justifiable reason for me to still be incarcerated in this room given all the tests you've performed. I've had it Jamie. If resigning is the only way I get my life back, then that's what's gonna happen," he replied frigidly causing the physician to shiver involuntarily. "I want my life back to normal," he added in a softer voice.

The door to Lee's room suddenly swung open. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's all this talk about resignations and getting out of prison?" Harri said as he and Chip entered the room.

The two combatants exchanged glares momentarily as each prepared to launch in to his side of the argument and make a bid for Nelson's and Morton's support. "Admiral…" "Harri…" they both started and quickly were faced with Nelson's hands held up in front of them tacitly ordering both to be quiet.

"Now, that's better," Nelson started. "Jamie, you first."

Lee glared at Harri, spun around and stalked over to the window like a petulant child. He stared out the glass at the scenic view below, one that included the sight of his gray lady Seaview, basking in the morning sun. She always worked as a balm to calm his frustrations and emotions and he banked on her beauty to do that now, allowing him to hold on to any chance of civility when given his opportunity to speak.

The other three men in the room exchanged startled looks at the breach in etiquette and decorum that Lee Crane was renowned for maintaining despite the situation. Chip shrugged and shot Nelson and Jamieson a quick embarrassed grin, knowing exactly how tight his best friend and captain was now wound.

"Admiral, as I was trying to explain to the _captain_ , I just want to make sure that there are no lingering aftereffects from that injection you gave him following your return from Odeja 1. His recovery was phenomenal to say the least, and I still have no idea how those chemicals worked to reverse his condition and initiate regeneration of his damaged organs. We have no idea if there are long lasting impacts that could endanger his life. I don't feel comfortable having him too far away from medical attention should something trigger yet another response from the shot," Jamie explained calmly, casting the occasional glare towards the back of his unwilling patient.

Not waiting for the admiral's okay to respond, Lee spun around quickly facing the men behind him. "And just how long is that going to take? You've yet to provide me any answer to that question. You've done nothing but take samples of my blood and any other type of fluid my body produces and run test upon test finding absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life penned up in this room until you ' _feel comfortable_ ' that I'm not going to transform into some alien monster or explode because my organs continue to grow. I want out and I want out now," Lee replied. "Jamie, you know I appreciate all you've done for me, many times saving me from myself, but enough on this front. Either let me go, or so help me I will resign from NIMR and the Navy just to escape," Lee stated adamantly.

Nelson and Morton were stunned by Lee's words and the emotion behind them, not doubting for a moment that he wouldn't hesitate to act on his threat. Even Jamie was taken aback by his candor and ultimatum.

"Lee, son, please relax, let's not make any rash decisions," Harri said as he tried desperately to defuse the situation. "I can understand both your positions, let's see if we can find a compromise satisfactory to you both."

"Admiral, there is no compromise other than releasing me from Med Bay and letting me return to my boat and my life," Lee replied calmly.

"Admiral…" Jamie began.

Harri raised his hand staying the doctor's response. "Is what Lee said true, Jamie?"

"Well, yes… technically speaking it's true, but I'm not even completely sure what I should be testing for, for the most part," Jamie replied.

"Then you have no need for me to be here," Lee answered pouncing on Jamie's reply. "I'm not going to keep living in this box and surrendering parts of my body until you find the right rock. Admiral, please set your captain free."

Harri tried desperately to tamp down the smile at Lee's impassioned plea, but just couldn't do it as his lips turned up at the corners and a slight chuckle escaped. He could relate all to easily to the younger man's plight having been subjected to the good doctor's need for thoroughness and certainty before willing to let his patients wander off. He could also see things from Jamieson's side as well, but without any concrete proof that there were some rogue compounds lurking around in Lee's body just waiting for the opportunity to transform him into something else, he had to side with Lee.

Will frowned at the chuckle knowing immediately and probably quite fairly he had lost. "Very well, I'll turn you loose…for now, but there are some stipulations to that freedom," he offered.

Lee eyed him warily since Jamieson's stipulations tended to amount to the same type of control just in a different box. "What stipulations?"

Jamie smiled at Lee's cautious reply. "First, you will not return to full duty for the next three weeks. You will take some time off to just relax. Second, you will allow me to siphon you off from time to time just to satisfy my niggling feeling that not everything has presented itself as a result of that injection."

"Three weeks?! All I've been doing is resting since we got back from that damn planet. If you want me to rest then let me go back to work," Lee thundered back.

"I said relax, not rest. You need to get completely away from here and just recharge; reclaim your center as it were. Is that really too much to ask, Captain?"

Lee glowered at him preparing his retort, but before he could speak Nelson jumped in to disarm the combatants. "That's an excellent idea Jamie. I think three weeks off sailing on the _Necessity_ would just fit your prescription. Lee and I have a number of things we need to discuss and I could go for a break as well. Will that suffice, Doctor?"

A broad smile spread across Jamie's face. "That fits my prescription to a 'T' since I was going to be speaking with you later about getting away as well."

"How about you Lee? Are you up to taking me out on your boat for a sail down Mexico way?"

Lee released a frustrated sigh at having been deterred from his return to his gray lady. Grudgingly he replied, "Sure, Admiral that would be great. I've been trying to get you out for more than a day sail anyway. I guess now is as good a time as any."

"Well don't sound so enthusiastic about it," Harri laughed. "Come on, it'll be fun. We'll head down to Baja, do a little fishing, some diving, whatever. Just hang out for a change; no business, no hassles."

Lee finally relented and let a broad grin spread across his face. "You've got a deal, sir. Now where are my clothes?"

"There's a second part to that Commander, remember?" Jamie chimed in.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll bleed for you when I get back," Lee responded as he pulled open the wardrobe and started throwing his clothes onto the bed, then gathered them up and headed to the restroom to change.

"So, you up for some pizza and beer tonight?" Chip asked as he watched the robe and pajamas come flying out of the head.

"You had me at pizza."

Jamieson rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperated amusement. Harri and Chip chuckled as well. Five minutes later Lee emerged fully dressed and made a beeline for the nightstand to collect his wallet and keys.

"Is my car still here or did someone take it to my house?"

"It's still here," Harri answered. "Try to keep it reasonably around the speed limit when you head for home. We don't need you back in here due to an accident."

Lee smiled wickedly, bounced his eyebrows, and nodded. "I shall try my best, sir," he answered with a laugh. "So, am I free to go, Dr. Jamieson?"

"Yes, you are free to go as long as you go nowhere near the office or the boat. Is that understood?"

"Yes Doctor," Lee answered as though responding to a nagging mother. "So, are you all coming over for pizza and beer?"

"I'm going to beg off tonight, Lee. I need to clear my calendar and tie up some loose ends before we head out for our sail. I'll get with you tomorrow morning and we can start planning things out," Harri responded.

"I think you've had more than enough of my company for the time being as well. Have a good evening and take it easy," Jamieson replied.

"Will do, and sincerely, thanks for everything Jamie," Lee said with a smile. "All right, I'm outta here before he changes his mind. See you when you get off-duty Chip. Ta ta all." Lee scampered down the hall and freedom as laughter from his friends marked his retreat.

(o1ooo

It was nearly 1800 when Chip arrived at Lee's beach house with the promised pizza and beer. He grabbed his gym bag, dinner, and brews from the back seat and headed for the house. He bypassed the front door and ambled around back to the spacious deck where Lee spent the majority of his time when home. As expected, his friend and CO was stretched out on a lounge chair wearing only a ratty pair of cutoff denim shorts soaking up the evening sun and taking in the view of the inside of his eyelids. He reminded Chip of a large cat stretched out sunning itself. He looked completely relaxed and out of it, yet knew his arrival had most likely been noted the minute he turned down the gravel driveway.

"Hey Lee, dinner is here," Chip called out as he mounted the steps to the deck.

Lee cracked open an eye and regarded his friend for a moment before smiling and rising to his feet. "Bout time, I was becoming more than a little parched," he said as he took the proffered rack of beer and set it on the table. He pulled out two bottles and quickly relieved them of their caps. As he took a big slug he passed the second bottle to Chip who rapidly followed Lee's lead.

"Ah, nectar of the gods," Chip said as he pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his collar. "You been out here all day?"

Lee smiled and took another swig. "The better part of it. After being cooped up in Med Bay for what seems forever I had little tolerance for walls and a ceiling. I had to do some quick combat with a few things left in the fridge far too long but after that I've done little else than play sun sponge."

"Well you had the perfect day for it," Chip replied with a laugh.

"So, what did you get to eat?"

"Picked up a Bella Vista House Special with just about everything on it but the kitchen sink."

"Sounds great. Why don't you go change and I'll get the plates and napkins?"

Chip nodded in agreement and executed a crisp about face and headed for the back bedroom to change clothes while Lee went to the kitchen grabbing plates, napkins, dried red peppers, parm, pickled jalapenos, and garlic to dress up the pizza. As Chip walked out to the deck now clad in a t-shirt and shorts, Lee had already pulled up the second lounge chair next to the small table and had the pizza, plates, and add-ons laid out, along with a small bucket filled with ice and a number of bottles of beer chilling. They grabbed their seats then raised their bottles in a silent toast and took another deep draw of the golden brew.

"Ahhhhhh. That truly hits the spot," Lee said as he set his bottle on the deck next to him then grabbed a plate and placed a large slice of pizza on it. He quickly added the few missing ingredients and took a huge bite out of the tasty triangle. "Damn good call, Morton. This is great."

Chip smiled and replied around a huge mouthful of pizza, "You're welcome." They quickly wolfed down their first slice then sat back and watched the surf for a few minutes as things settled. "So, you all jazzed about your trip down to Mexico?"

"Yeah, I am actually. I will be out of Jamie's immediate reach and it will be great to be out in the open air and afloat again. I'm also looking forward to finally being able to talk with the admiral about all that happened without worrying about being interrupted. He's still carrying around some serious guilt after what occurred on Odeja," Lee explained.

"You're right, he definitely is. We all recognize that he had no other choices but he still clings to the feeling he somehow let you down. I don't envy you the task of convincing him otherwise. He latches on tenaciously to his perceived shortcomings much like someone else I know, who shall remain nameless."

Lee glared at Chip for a moment then relented as the other man just smiled at him, as he had too recognized the truth in what he had just said. "Well nothing makes you feel more inadequate than not being able to help your friends. You aren't much better in handling that failing yourself."

Chip shrugged then reached over, grabbed another slice of pizza and took a big bite. "Have any idea how far down you're going to go?"

"I would kind of like to go to La Paz, but we'll see. We haven't had a chance to sit down and plot this out," Lee responded as he too snagged another slice. They ate quietly for a moment watching the tide move further up the shoreline. "He wants me to take over the Institute when he retires," Lee said quietly. Chip swallowed his bite, shrugged, and just smiled as though that was old news.

"You don't seem the least bit surprised about that," Lee remarked noting Chip's less than shocked response.

"I'm not. It seems everyone but you and the admiral have freely acknowledged the close relationship you two have. You're the ones that seem bent on denying what is plainly evident," Chip replied with a chuckle. "I'm a little surprised that it's taken this long to make it official. I'm guessing that is one of the _things_ you two are going to talk about on this trip."

"Yep, you got that right. I'm concerned that he may be making this grand gesture as a way to make up for the events on Odeja. I don't want that to be the case. We spoke a little about it when he first came to in Med Bay, after our meeting up in the penthouse. He assures me that he already had this planned, but I'm not totally convinced," Lee replied truthfully.

"As I said Lee, you two are the only ones that have trouble accepting how much you mean to each other. I wouldn't doubt for a second that he's been planning this for quite some time. You are family to each other every bit as much as you and I are brothers. It's been obvious since you two first met at Annapolis that there's been a bond between you, and that bond has morphed and grown stronger as you've gone through the years. I think it really turned into a true father/son relationship after you finished your tour on the Nautilus. Once you returned from that deployment, the way you talked about him and responded to him was different, more familiar. You spoke of him the way I speak of my dad," Chip explained.

Lee just stared at Chip startled at how transparent his feelings towards the admiral were to everyone around him. He blushed a bit at finding out what a bad actor he really was. "Wow, I'm that blatant?"

"You both are," Chip said with a laugh. "Once you came on board, the admiral's whole demeanor changed. He almost instantly seemed more open and willing to listen. He lightened up quite a bit as well and became immediately more approachable to everyone on the boat. He knew we would all support him and do everything we could for him, but with you there, it was as though he knew you personally had his back. He had someone he implicitly trusted and had a sounding board who would give him a truthful answer whether it was the one he wanted or not. You have a great deal of influence over him, which is probably why Starke is such a hard ass when it comes to you. He's concerned for his friend."

"Well the reverse is true as well. He's been that one person I've looked up to since the Academy, probably even before. His inventions have always awed me much like his exploits when I was a kid at Farragut. I never in my wildest dreams figured I'd get to meet him let alone serve under him, or call him one of my closest friends. To find out how highly he regards and values me is sometimes just too much to comprehend," Lee admitted honestly. They returned to their companionable silence and once more turned their attention to the surf as it reached further ashore. "So how are things on Seaview?" Lee asked after a bit.

Chip laughed. "That was a subtle change of topic. I guess were done delving into your deepest, darkest emotions."

"You are correct, sir," Lee replied and laughed as well. "That was more touchy-feely than I really wanted. So how _are_ things on my gray lady?"

ooolo)

At promptly 1000 the following morning, Lee stepped out of his house just as Harri drove up the driveway. He waved and smiled at his friend and walked towards the vehicle. As the car pulled to a stop, he headed to the passenger side, opened the door and climbed in. "Morning, sir."

"Morning, Lee. Did you and Chip have a good evening?"

"Yes, we did. Good food and drinks and some rather illuminating conversation," Lee replied.

"Really? What was the topic?" Harri inquired.

"Oh, it's something I think we should save for the trip. So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, we need to head to the store and get the necessary provisions for our jaunt, drop those off at the boat, then find some place to eat lunch and discuss the particulars of our trip. How does that sound, son?"

"Sounds like an excellent course of action, sir. We also need to hit the sailing shop and pick up some charts, I don't have a set for that far south," Lee answered. "So, any problems with your escape for the next couple of weeks?"

"No. I shuffled a few things off to the department heads and Seaview isn't scheduled to sail until after our return. I'm free as a bird until then. It's a rather liberating feeling, I may have to indulge in it more often," Harri replied with a wry smile.

"Not too often I hope," Lee replied smiling as well.

"Probably not," Harri quickly conceded. "Much like my captain, I hate being away from my boat and the sea. Is Costco okay to get our stores?"

"Of course, if we're going to be out for three weeks we're going to need quite a bit."

Harri nodded in agreement then put the car in gear and headed down the road. They chatted a little about the trip and what all they wanted to do during the course of their vacation. Once at the store, they loaded up on everything imaginable they could possibly want or need in the next three weeks, along with a good assortment of beers, tequila, and scotch.

As they waited in line to make their purchase, Lee just shook his head and laughed. "My god sir, it looks as though we're going on a yearlong expedition. If we run into foul weather that shipwrecks us on some deserted island, we just need to make sure we keep our stores intact and we can most likely live out our natural lives without needing a run to the grocery store."

Harri laughed as well. "You may be right, but then again I would hate to come up short."

Reaching the front of the line, Lee reached into his pocket and withdrew his wallet ready to purchase the entire lot. "Belay that Captain," Nelson said. "This one's on me, son. I've owed you this trip since Slovestein 2, and it's time for me to pay up. You're providing the boat, so it's the least I can do to outfit our expedition."

"You don't need to do that, sir, at least let me get half."

"Nope, this one's on me. I invited myself along so my treat. Please, Lee. When we go ashore you can buy me a margarita or a cerveza."

"All right, sir, if you insist," Lee conceded. "I'll hold you to the drinks though."

"Deal." Harri paid the cashier then they pushed the flatbed cart out to his Mercedes SUV and began loading their cargo. "Good thing I brought the big car," Nelson said with a chuckle as he struggled to get the last few items in.

They headed directly to the marina as planned and transferred their stores aboard _Neccessity._ Once everything was shipshape in Bristol fashion, Lee conducted a complete inspection of the boat to make sure there was nothing that needed attention before they left. He identified a few items, like extra scuba tanks, that needed to be added but was otherwise satisfied with the state of things.

That complete, they hit the boat shop picked up the charts Lee wanted and then headed off for lunch at Lee's favorite restaurant. They gave the waiter their order then sat back sipping on the cold beers that were quickly delivered. They spent a leisurely afternoon planning their trip and chatting about what was going on at NIMR.

By the end of lunch, it was decided that Cabo San Lucas would be their goal and if time allowed they would round the tip of the peninsula and hit La Paz. Harri dropped Lee off at his home and they would meet tomorrow at 0800 at the marina so they could catch the high tide and begin their trip.

(o1ooo

1 - All Things in Their Own Time

2 - A Surprising Shift


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Lee found himself too anxious and too excited about the upcoming trip to just sit around the house. The thought of finally addressing the thousand-pound gorilla in the room, that being the personal relationship between him and Harri, had him bouncing off the walls. The prospect of finally making this a formal and publicly recognized thing made him almost giddy, yet the specters of previous claims to a possible family that went hideously wrong the closer he got to the official declaration, filled him with dread.

Finally coming to the decision that he'd get no sleep at home, he figured he might as well put that nervous energy to good use. He rapidly packed his gear for the trip then headed back down to the marina and boarded his boat. He knew that it would be easier to spend the night there than to bounce around his house just killing time before returning to the boat in the morning.

Once aboard he stowed his gear and gave the vessel another thorough going over to make sure everything was good to go. As he finished his inspection, he came to the realization that he was actually quite hungry. He grabbed his cell phone and made a quick call to a local Thai restaurant with delivery service. He ordered enough food to feed at least four as he somehow expected company before the night was through.

The delivery driver showed up thirty minutes later with a cardboard box filled with several good-sized containers. Lee quickly paid the kid along with a generous tip then disappeared below deck into the cabin.

He snagged an overstuffed fresh spring roll and took a healthy bite as he started pulling out plates, utensils, sauces and napkins. As he placed the cartons on the table and sat down he heard "Ahoy! Permission to come aboard," from dockside. Lee smiled and laughed knowing immediately who was waiting for the okay to come aboard.

"Come on down, Jamie," Lee called out as he pushed up to his feet and moved to the cabin door. Jamieson stepped on board and smiled as he saw Lee coming up to greet him.

"You don't look surprised to see me," he stated.

Lee laughed. "I really didn't think I'd be able to skate out of here without one more visit from my friendly neighborhood vampire. I haven't replaced what you've already siphoned off, Jamie. I said I'd let you tap me when I got back. How'd you know I was here?"

"I've not come for blood…this time, Skipper. I just wanted to touch base with you before you sail off into the sunset and make sure you're feeling 'fine'," Jamieson replied with a chuckle. "Regardless of the boat you plan to sail on, you always seem to spend the night aboard before you sail. It wasn't much of a deduction when I couldn't find you at home."

"True. Just need to be in tune with everything before leaving the dock," Lee replied. "So, have you had dinner yet?"

Jamie looked at him somewhat startled at the invitation to eat. "My god you're actually eating?"

Lee glowered at him for a moment then relented to the gentle teasing. "Yes, after making sure everything was shipshape I found I was actually fairly hungry even after the late lunch with the admiral. I've got Thai if you're interested."

"Do you have enough?"

"Oh yeah, I have plenty. I had a sneaking suspicion that I'd have visitors before I shoved off in the morning, and if perchance I was left alone, leftovers are always welcome," Lee answered with a chuckle. "Come on down, grab a plate and some food before Chip gets here and snags the lion's share."

"He say he was coming down?"

"Doesn't have to, I know him too well. In fact, I'm a little surprised you beat him here."

Jamie followed Lee into the cabin then grabbed a seat and started to help Lee open the sea of containers on the table. "You weren't kidding when you said you had enough. Looks like you were expecting the entire Morton clan," he quipped. They both laughed and began loading up their plates.

Just as Lee prepared to take his first bite he was interrupted by another hail topside. "Yo, Lee you there?" Chip called out.

"See, told ya." Lee winked at Jamie. "Yeah Chip, come aboard and come have some dinner. We're just starting."

"We?" Chip replied as he crossed over onto the boat. "You have a dining partner of the female persuasion?"

"No such luck," Jamie called out as Chip entered the cabin. "I stopped by just to make sure Captain Fine was just that _,_ and was given a dinner invitation as my reward."

"Sweet," Chip responded smiling at his friends and the bounty of food laid out on the table. He raised his right arm and displayed the cold six pack of beer he had brought along as his addition to the meal.

"Great, I hadn't gotten around to digging out anything to drink yet. Pull up a seat Chip and dig in," Lee said as he pulled a beer from the carton and twisted off the cap. Jamie followed suit as Chip sat down and started loading up his plate. He also took a beer and opened it up.

"Cheers," Chip said and they quickly clinked bottles and took a healthy swig. "So, when's the admiral showing up?"

"We're putting out to sea at 0800 but I've got a hunch he'll be here sooner than that," Lee replied. As if on cue there was yet another call from dockside, causing all three to burst into laughter.

"I'd say your premonition was right on track, Lee," Jamie said. "At least I know your sixth sense is working properly."

"Seems so," Lee replied smiling as he pushed to his feet and headed up the steps and up on deck. His smile broadened as he spotted Harri standing there with his duffle bag in one hand and a very nice bottle of scotch in the other. "Come aboard sir, we've just been waiting for you."

Harri shot Lee a quizzical look, since he really hadn't intended to spend the night until little over an hour ago. Like Lee he was too wound up to stay at home rambling aimlessly through the house killing time until it was time to leave in the morning. "You were expecting me? And what do you mean by we?" he inquired as he passed over his bag and scotch, then climbed aboard.

"Just had a hunch that's all. And by we, I mean the usual suspects. Jamie and Chip just showed up and we're getting ready to eat, if you're hungry," Lee explained.

Harri shook his head in amusement and followed his captain down the steps into the cabin. The other two men quickly acknowledged his arrival and passed him a plate. "Looks like the gang's all here. Wow, also looks like there's enough food for an army," he replied accepting the plate and quickly adding a selection of goodies.

"For some reason, I had a feeling that I'd be having company tonight so figured I might as well cater the affair," Lee answered as he claimed his seat. "So now that we're all here, dig in before it gets any colder."

They all tucked in with relish and polished off all that Lee had ordered. Their conversation was lively and relaxed as they talked over Lee and Harri's trip and other non-NIMR related topics. As his dinner companions chatted Lee smiled to himself as he reveled in the company of his friends who, as far as he was concerned, were his family. Each would go to any extreme to protect and support the others. They were all so comfortable in each other's company and held a deep seated and genuine affection for one and other. Without really trying, he had found the one thing he had always longed for and was truly thankful for being afforded the opportunity to collect it. He still found himself amazed at the gifts that had been bestowed upon him since making the jump to NIMR.

With dinner over and the dishes and table cleaned up, they adjourned to the deck to watch the stars come out and to sample Harri's scotch. As it neared 2200 Jamie stood up and stretched. "Well gents, it's time I be heading home, some of us have to work in the morning," he said with a wink.

Chip quickly followed Jamie's lead and rose as well. "Yeah, me too. Thanks for dinner Lee, it was a great evening. Don't forget to check in from time to time to let us know you're safe and still afloat."

"Will do Chip. Don't worry I'm bringing my own sitter for this event," Lee retorted.

"I don't know about that. Isn't this kind of like letting the fox guard the hen house?" Jamie interjected. "It's almost a toss up to see who gets into trouble first."

Harri glared at Jamie and harrumphed. "I think the stats are stacked firmly in my favor over Captain Chaos there." The other men began laughing and Harri quickly joined in.

"Have a great trip and take it easy," Jamie said as he climbed down to the dock.

"Call me when you get back," Chip said to Lee as he jumped to the dock. Then both men walked back down the pier to their cars chatting and laughing as they went.

"I think we've been somewhat insulted," Harri said kiddingly watching the two depart.

"I don't think, I know we've been insulted," Lee replied then laughed quietly. "Would you care for another drink, sir?"

"Sure, one more won't hurt since I don't have to get up quite so early tomorrow morning."

Lee nodded and added another dram to Harri's glass and freshened his drink as well. He stoppered the bottle then grabbed a seat next to his chosen father and blew out a deep sigh. They stared up at the sky in silence each lost to his own thoughts.

After nearly a half hour Harri looked over at Lee and smiled slightly at the look of total relaxation and peace on his face. "So, did you invite Jamie and Chip for a farewell dinner tonight?"

Lee looked over at Harri and shook his head slightly. "No, not at all. I bailed from my place shortly after you dropped me off and came to the boat since I knew at home, I'd get no rest. I did my own little version of a walk-a-boat and then found I was hungry. When the guy on the phone answered, I somehow immediately knew I would be having company for dinner and ordered accordingly. There's just something about our group that is so easy to anticipate and to plan for, I've never felt anything like that in my life," Lee responded seriously.

Harri chuckled quietly. "I know exactly what you mean. There are certain times and groups of people that so totally mesh it's frightening at times. In my life, I would rate this group by far the best." He reached over and patted Lee on the knee. "So, we still up for an 0800 departure tomorrow morning?"

"Unless you want earlier or later," Lee replied. "The tide turns at 0800 so that should give us a little added push out of the harbor."

"No, eight is good. I think however that it's my bed time if I'm to be of any assistance to you tomorrow, Captain," Harri answered.

Lee laughed. "Then that makes it unanimous. Head on down to bed and I'll button up things here. Sleep well, Harri."

Harri looked over at Lee and smiled. He always appreciated Lee using his first name, as it signaled that he was truly relaxed and ready drop all the formality between them. He pushed up from his seat, dumped the remaining ice cubes in his glass overboard and made his way into the cabin. He quickly washed his glass, then grabbed his duffle and headed to his cabin to get ready for bed.

Lee checked all the lines and made sure all was as it should be then followed Nelson into the cabin. He secured the main cabin door, washed his glass then headed to his cabin. As he pulled off his shirt and jeans he was stunned by the sudden and surprising sensation of contentment. He'd never truly experienced the feeling given the turmoil he had experienced throughout his young life but for now, for the moment, he owned it and he savored each and every second of it as he pulled back the covers, climbed into bed and killed the lights.

ooolo)

Lee rolled over, grabbed his cell phone and hit the button; the display showed it to be 0530. "Figures," he said quietly to himself. "Even on vacation I can't sleep in." He sat up and slowly stretched feeling all his muscles respond and almost purred he felt so good. He then pushed up to his feet, collected his sweatpants and shirt from the small closet, and pulled them on. He hit the head and quietly exited his cabin.

He headed to the galley and pulled out the ancient coffee pot he'd found at a second-hand store, filled it with water and coffee grounds then fired up the small propane stove and started the little pot on its vital morning mission. As the water heated, Lee unlatched the cabin door and walked up on deck to greet the dawn.

It was an absolutely fantastic day as the sun began to peek provocatively above the horizon signaling a perfect day to be at sea. The marina was completely still as most people had fled their boats the evening before to return home for the start the work week. The one thing Lee missed most given his choice of career was the sun's arrival each morning. He stood there on deck transfixed by the growing display of colors and shapes as the sun pushed its way above the horizon and claimed the sky while a subtle and cool breeze played over his skin and through his hair.

He slowly became aware of the aroma of coffee issuing from the galley. As he turned to return to the cabin and claim a cup of the brew he spotted Harri coming up on deck with two steaming cups in his hand. Lee gladly accepted the offered cup and inhaled a deep breath of the rich and dangerous looking liquid.

He took a careful sip and relished the hot and bitter drink as it slid down his throat. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Harri replied. "Looks like a perfect day for a sail."

"I don't think we could have ordered a better day, sir," Lee answered. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Like the proverbial baby. How about you?"

Lee chuckled. "Like the proverbial log. I'm sure I sawed enough wood to build us another boat."

They stood there silently watching the remainder of the sunrise sipping on their coffee, each deep in his own thoughts. As the colors paled with the sun rising higher into the sky, Lee took his final drink and surveyed the bottom of his now empty cup.

"Well, I'm ready for both some more coffee and a bit of breakfast. How about you, Harri?"

"I'm ready for both as well. Since you 'cooked' last night, let me get breakfast while you get dressed."

"Sounds like an equitable deal. If you need anything or can't find something just call out," Lee replied then went back down, filled his cup, and headed to his cabin and its small head to make himself presentable for the day."

Harri quickly scrambled up some eggs, fried a few strips of bacon, and dropped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster. By the time the toast popped up, Lee was exiting his cabin dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and sporting his day-old beard. Nelson smiled at a laid-back Lee and dished up breakfast as Lee refilled their coffee cups and set them on the table.

"I see we're going primitive on this trip," Harri commented.

Lee laughed. "You could say that. Just didn't feel like shaving this morning, we'll see how long this lasts. The itchiness usually gets to me pretty quickly and it's gone soon after that unless I'm incognito."

"Shall we see who can grow the better beard during our voyage then?" Harri bantered back.

"You're on," Lee said accepting the challenge and then dug into his breakfast. "Not bad, Harri. You know you'd make someone a good wife." He was immediately hit in the head with a pillow from the bench seat at the table. Both men broke out laughing and then got back to their meal.

As Lee put down his fork after the last bite he sat back and patted his stomach. "That was very good, thank you." Harri nodded and gave him a quick salute. "Why don't you get ready and I'll take care of the dishes, and call in our float plan to the security desk at NIMR?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you topside in a few," Harri replied as he picked up his plate then set it next to the sink and headed forward.

Lee rapidly washed up the plates and put everything away, then headed on-deck, pulled out his cell phone and placed his call to NIMR.

"NIMR, Fox," came the voice after a single ring.

"Hi Darren, Crane here. I just wanted to activate our float plan and let you know we will be shoving off shortly. I'm planning on a hard day of sailing so if all goes well, we should be off the coast of Mexico around Ensenada."

"Thanks for letting me know, Captain. Have a safe voyage. If you could check in every couple of days it would be appreciated," Fox responded.

"Will do. Keep an eye on things and we'll be in touch." That task done, Lee began making preparations to set sail. He uncased the sails, made sure everything was secure, and downloaded the current weather forecast. As he shoved his phone back into his back pocket, Harri came up on deck.

"Are we ready to roll, son?" Harri inquired.

"Everything is good to go. Told Fox we'd check in every couple of days and the weather looks good for the next 5 days at least. I would like to do some aggressive sailing today and shoot for the border. That will give us a chance to identify any problems and get them fixed before we get too far from home. Any problem with that, sir?" Lee replied.

"You're captain, I'm the crew. Whatever you want we'll make happen. Ready to shove off, sir?"

Lee laughed. "Aye, Mr. Nelson. Release the lines and let's be on our way."

"Aye, aye, sir." Harri fired off a snappy salute and quickly released the lines fore and aft. Lee engaged the motor and then slowly made their way out of the slip and out of the marina. Once out of the marina they rapidly raised the sails and were soon on their way as a stiff breeze propelled them down the coast.

(o1ooo


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As Lee had planned, they pushed it hard testing _Necessity's_ fitness for the long voyage. She answered each call and sliced effortlessly through the water at nearly 15 knots, an almost unheard of rate of speed for a sail driven craft, eating up almost 200 miles of ocean. By the time, they decided to stop for the night they were just across the US/Mexico border and nearly exhausted from the full day of work.

Lee dropped anchor about 8 miles offshore and secured the sails while Harri was in the galley grabbing some cold beers and light snacks to help them rest and relax after their strenuous day. He stepped out carrying a pail of beers on ice and a plate with sliced cheese, salami, and crackers.

Harri proffered the bucket of beer, which Lee gladly accepted then removed two bottles and quickly opened them. Nelson moved over to the bench seat, set down the plate and sat heavily down issuing a huge sigh of relief. He accepted a beer from Lee then they both raised them in a silent toast and took a hefty drink.

"Oh, god that's good," Harri remarked smacking his lips as he leaned back and began to relax. "Ye be a slave driver, Cap'n Crane. I don't think I've worked that hard physically in years."

"Be ye gettin' soft now, Mr. Nelson?" Lee replied as he flopped down on the seat next to him. "I have to admit I will be sleeping soundly tonight as well. I can't believe how much distance we covered today. I think I'd be safe in saying _Necessity_ is fit to carry on with her journey."

"I have to agree she performed admirably. I was surprised how much speed you got out of her as well. I guess all that TLC paid off, son."

They both reached over and grabbed some of the goodies Harri had brought up and rapidly gobbled them down. They sat in companionable silence sipping on their drinks as they watched the sun slowly slip below the horizon. A profound sense of contentment and relaxation washed over both men as all concerns beyond what they wanted to do tomorrow vanished from their minds.

The sun now gone, Lee looked over at Harri to see if he was ready for some dinner. He smiled fondly at the older man seeing he had nodded off, exhausted from their day on the water. Lee laughed quietly then pushed up to his feet and went inside to make a quick meal of sandwiches and soup for their dinner. Once that was done he came back out and found Harri as he had left him.

"Harri," Lee said quietly, so as not to startle the man. "Come on Harri, time for dinner."

Nelson mumbled something then stirred awake. He blinked his eyes a number of times, surprised to find it now dark. He looked over at Lee and then smiled somewhat sheepishly.

"A tad tired, are we?"

Harri stretched slowly then took another swig off his bottle. "I think I need to get out of the office and the lab a little more often," he replied with a chuckle. "I haven't been this tired in I don't know how long. Definitely no trouble sleeping tonight."

Lee smiled. "I'm right there with you. Come on down, I've got some sandwiches and soup ready. I think that's about all we have the energy to eat at this point."

They both entered the cabin and claimed a seat around the table. They quickly tucked into the simple meal. Both were so hungry and tired, shredded cardboard would have seemed a gourmet meal.

After half of his sandwich was gone, along with his first bowl of soup, Harri looked up. "This is good. Thanks for cooking."

"No problem. It's nothing fancy but fills that empty spot," Lee replied. He reached over and grabbed the pot of soup from the stove and refilled their bowls. "So, I would say we take it a _little_ easier tomorrow and head into Ensenada. We can have dinner there and grab some fresh seafood and fruits."

"That sounds like an excellent idea. I know this dockside hole in the wall restaurant that has the best fish tacos I've ever eaten."

"Sounds like we have a plan," Lee replied.

They chatted off and on as they finished up their meal, both too tired to want a more substantial conversation. Both had intentionally steered clear of any discussion of their experiences on Odeja, and Harri's revelation that he wanted Lee, his chosen son, to take over the reins of NIMR in time. Those topics would require way more stamina and fortitude than either possessed after their day of sailing.

Having finished their meal, Harri took on scullery duties and did the dishes while Lee went topside and ensured everything was battened down for the night. He spent a few minutes gazing at the stars and locating the constellations then returned to the cabin.

Harri had already climbed into bed and Lee wished him good night then headed to his cabin and collapsed into a deep and dreamless sleep.

ooolo)

The next few days flowed effortlessly by as they leisurely sailed down the coast. Harri and Lee had had a fine time in Ensenada partaking in all the city had to offer, then continued south. They sailed about 8 hours each day then would drop anchor and relax, toss a line in the water for some fish or take to the depths diving in areas that interested them.

Having dropped anchor for the evening, they were somewhat startled to hear the Satphone start to ring. Harri entered the cabin and quickly grabbed the phone. "Nelson."

"Admiral, Chip here."

"Hello Chip, what's up?" Harri asked, then hit the speaker button so Lee could hear the conversation.

"Sir, we've been tracking the weather along the Mexican coast and there is a major storm that is gaining in intensity and speed and moving in your direction. I don't know if you've been checking the reports, but the Mexican authorities have issued a warning to mariners to seek shelter," Chip relayed.

"No, we haven't had a chance to check the weather. Based on the last update I downloaded this morning, that storm wasn't expected to arrive for another day or so," Nelson answered. "You talk to Lee and I'll go pull up the weather reports."

Lee accepted the phone from Harri as he headed in to collect his laptop and pull up the satellite imagery. "How's it going?" Chip inquired.

"I'm having a great time. I've really enjoyed putting _Necessity_ through her paces and it's been fun just hanging out with the admiral. We did some diving yesterday and got a couple of huge lobsters."

"So, any discussion about… _things_?"

Lee laughed quietly. "No. I think we've both been very careful to avoid even going near… _things_. The moment just hasn't been right. I think we both kind of fear if we voice how we feel that it will turn things weird and make the rest of the trip uncomfortable," Lee replied honestly.

Lee broke off his discussion as he heard Nelson coming back on deck muttering as he scanned the display on his computer screen. "Damn that front has really moved in since we looked this morning. Winds have accelerated to 50 knots sustained with gusts to 80," Harri stated as he rotated the screen so Lee could see. "Thanks for the heads up, Chip. We probably wouldn't have checked for another couple of hours."

"Glad to be of service, sir," Chip answered. "Are you going to make a run for it or ride it out at sea?"

Lee grabbed his binoculars and quickly scanned the shoreline several miles behind them. He shook his head as he lowered the glasses. "The coastline looks a little too rocky for my liking, especially with winds that high. We lose our anchor and we'd be dashed to pieces." He pulled out the chart and rapidly traced the coastline with his finger looking for protected bays or coves.

"Doesn't look as though there's any place to hide around here. I think I'd be more comfortable moving out a bit and anchoring up. Thoughts, Admiral?"

Harri nodded his head in agreement. "I think that's a sound plan, son. It gives us more opportunities to react if things get any nastier. With _Necessity's_ heavy keel and stability, we should be able to ride it out without too much trouble."

"Well it sounds like we have a plan of action then," Lee responded. "Okay Chip, lock in on our GPS coordinates and that will at least give you a starting point if things get dicey. We'll double check our EPIRBs* and make sure they're working, then get everything battened down for the night."

"Got you located, Lee," Chip answered after a moment. "We'll keep FS-1 on standby if you need immediate assistance. You be careful out there."

"Will do, Chip. We'll check in periodically to let you know how things are going," Lee replied. "Since we're staying here we have some work to do battening everything down and presenting the fewest opportunities for the wind to rip us to shreds. Talk to you later."

Lee thumbed off the phone and exchanged looks with Harri. "I figure we have about two, two and half hours before the wind picks up significantly. The clouds are definitely already moving in from the northwest," Harri stated.

"That should be more than enough time to get everything we can below deck and lashed down. Do you want to start inside and I'll take care of things out here?"

"Sounds like a good division of labor. Give a holler if you need any assistance with anything," Harri replied.

"Will do," Lee answered and shot him a quick salute.

(o1ooo

Lee's first stop was the bow as he activated the winch and hauled the anchor back up. He wanted a few more miles off the coast so should they lose the anchor in the storm, they would have more time to react and work their way to safety. Once the anchor was securely aboard he moved back to the stern, fired up the engines then set a course due west further out to sea.

With the course set, he lashed the wheel in place then started stowing things on deck in the various lockers. Anything that couldn't go in a locker was tied down and rendered immovable. After an hour of work, Lee returned to the wheel and cut the engine. As the boat slowed he released the anchor and set about firmly entrenching it in the seabed below.

That now done, he quickly turned to casing the sails and lashing them down reducing _Necessity's_ profile even more. As he tied the last knot he spotted Harri coming back on deck carrying a couple of beers. Lee smiled and gladly accepted the cold drink.

"Thanks," he said, after a deep draught.

"You're welcome. I figured we could handle one before things start turning nasty and we need all our faculties," Harri replied. "Is everything taken care of out here?"

"Yep, that was my last knot. I just need to make sure all the watertight seals are set and there's no chance for a leak. How are things inside?"

"We're ready to rock and roll," Harri answered with a smile. "Everything is secured, I've filled all the thermoses with hot coffee and whipped up some sandwiches so we have something we can eat without having to take a chance on opening something up and get hit by a wave."

"Great thinking, sir. How's the storm tracking so far?" Lee inquired then took another swallow from his beer.

"It's following the latest forecasted track, but the winds have increased again. They're showing 65 sustained with gusts to 90. Waves have increased to 10 to 20 feet so it looks like we're going to have quite a ride tonight," Nelson answered. His report was accented by a sudden gust of wind that washed over the boat. "Looks like the advance guard has arrived."

"Yep. We might as well stay out as long as we can before we have to run for cover. By the looks of those storm clouds, _it's going to be bumpy night,_ " Lee answered affecting a horrible Bette Davis imitation.

Harri smiled and nodded in agreement then took another swig of his beer. He firmly set his resolve with his swallow and finally broached the subject they had both been intentionally avoiding. "So, what kind of _things_ was Chip asking if we had discussed?"

Lee flushed somewhat in embarrassment at having been overheard. "You heard that, huh? When Chip came over the night I was released from Med Bay, I told him that you said you wanted me to someday take over NIMR. I hope you don't mind."

Harri smiled. "No, I don't mind. Chip's your best friend and for all intents and purposes your brother, I pretty much assume you share just about everything with him, and vice versa. I envy the easy rapport and friendship you two have. That kind of news is not something I would ever consider sharing with Jiggs until way after the fact. What was Chip's response?"

Lee laughed. "His reaction was rather ho hum. He basically said to tell him something he didn't already know. In fact, he informed me that virtually everyone has known I've been the heir apparent for several years. He was more or less surprised that it took this long for you to make it official. He also said that the only people that hadn't accepted and acknowledged how close we've become since I've taken the captaincy of Seaview… is us."

Harri laughed as well shaking his head in amusement. "That's almost verbatim of what Edith told me when I first broached the subject of making you my heir with her. I was somewhat taken aback by the revelation thinking I had kept my emotions in check and not shown how I really feel about you. She also made a rather snide remark about me being denser than the lead shielding my reactors."

"I had the same reaction as well, Harri. It was quite the wake-up call to hear that I was such a poor actor," Lee responded with a chuckle. "Chip said he'd suspected our relationship had changed significantly after I had finished my tour on the Nautilus. He said the way I started talking about you had taken on a familiarity and affection that he voiced for his own father. He also figured Admiral Starke has picked up on it and that's why he seems to have in for me. He said he's probably just watching your back so I don't use my _undue_ influence over you to my advantage."

"Well it's nice to know we're so transparent, sheesh. I think we need to take some acting classes or something. It would be a good father/son activity," Harri replied, chuckling as well. "Chip nailed it though, as to when my feelings towards you really changed, or at least I finally acknowledged them. I've always had a soft spot for you lad, starting from that first Christmas you spent with me at the Academy. I do however remember with extreme clarity the moment I realized what you had become to me, Lee. It was on that mission to Slovestein where we went in as father and son. It was after I had taken care of you following the attack by the government thugs, that the full force of my regard and feeling for you hit me broadside. At that point you had become _my son,_ and like any other father my desire was to keep you safe and take care of you."

Harri took another draw off his beer and stared down at the deck as he continued. "I'll be honest, it scared the hell out of me. It did nothing but fill my head with doubts and concerns about my ability to hide my feelings from everyone else, including you. Once we got back on the boat, I actually gave serious thought to having your transferred off. I was so concerned that my feelings would come across as favoritism, I unintentionally went the opposite direction to the point of treating you like the biggest screw-up on the boat. It was only after you had put in your request for transfer, and David pulled me aside and pointed out how badly I was treating you did it dawn on me what I was doing." 3

"Yeah, I remember that. I really thought you were disappointed in my performance on the mission and I pretty much figured my career was over," Lee revealed.

"I know I apologized when we were in Scotland, but I want to say it again. I am so sorry at how I treated you, you deserved none of it and I have been nothing less than blown away at everything you've done, son."

"Thank you, sir," Lee replied quietly. "I agree with Chip's assessment as well when it comes down to a change in our relationship. I've always been in awe of you, starting before I even was accepted into the Academy. Once I stumbled onto your work researching a paper for school I was hooked, you blew me out of the water. I'm still a little in awe that I've been able to spend so much of my life with you. I was jazzed when I got to take my first class with you as my instructor, and then found myself stunned beyond belief when you invited me to stay with you during Christmas and conduct some research for you. I was going through some serious hero worship at that point. Every dream I had was coming true." Lee laughed self-consciously.

"You were and are my idol, Harri. I have cherished every opportunity I've been given to work for you and to this day find myself somewhat amazed that you've become the father I fantasized about as a kid. You've given me everything, so thank you, sir. But that mission to Slovestein gave me a taste of what it truly was to have a father, and I really hated the fact it all had to end. Aside from the beating and drugs, that was the best mission I've ever had."

Harri smiled, reached over and squeezed Lee's shoulder then ruffled his hair. Both men laughed. They sat quietly on deck for a few moments until the clouds finally opened up and started dropping rain on top of them.

"Time to get inside, I'd say," Harri said as he pushed to his feet.

"Aye, sir." Lee stood as well then conducted another walk around the boat ensuring everything was ready for the storm. He followed Harri down into the cabin then secured the hatch locking out the storm.

ooolo)

Once inside, Harri turned on a single light over the table to save power for the bilge pumps if needed, and sat down. "You getting hungry?" he asked.

"I could eat," Lee replied taking the seat across from Nelson.

Harri unzipped the soft-sided cooler and pulled out two rather large sandwiches, a bag of chips, and another baggie containing pickles, celery sticks, and baby carrots. Lee grabbed the thermos lying next to it, along with two aluminum to-go cups with lids and poured them each a cup of coffee. They sat there quietly eating their meal all the while listening to the storm growing in intensity outside.

"These are good," Lee remarked. "Thanks."

Harri nodded his acceptance of the compliment. "Nothing beats a good Dagwood sandwich to help kill the time before the storm strikes hardest."

They quickly finished their meal and stowed the cooler and thermos just as the waves started to really kick up heaving the boat up and down and about. They both had complete faith in _Necessity_ and her ability to ride out the storm and sat back to take in the ride.

"You know Harri, you don't need to give me anything, especially NIMR," Lee said breaking the silence. "You don't owe me anything because of what happened on Odeja."

Harri looked up at Lee and regarded him for a few moments. "My desire to leave you NIMR and make you my heir has nothing to do with Odeja, Lee. I told you I had the papers drawn up months before we made that unfortunate trip. If you don't believe me you're free to ask Edith or my attorneys. As the years, have passed my desire to give you NIMR has only grown stronger. I would truly appreciate it if you would accept this."

Lee smiled self-consciously. "All right, I will but on one condition."

"And what might that be?"

"You quit blaming yourself for what happened on Odeja and dump all that guilt. There was nothing you could have done to prevent what occurred. We never had a position of power and only through your quick thinking and action, along with a little help from our friend, did we make it out and hopefully save the planet for a while longer. I don't want this as some token on your part to atone for a perceived failure to see what was coming; no one could have guessed at what happened given our limited experience with those beings. I don't blame you and no one else does either. So, do we have a deal?" Lee said as he extended his hand.

Harri quickly grabbed his hand. "Deal, Son." They sat there for nearly a minute hands firmly clasped until their grip was broken by a rather precipitous drop from the top of a wave into the trough. They both looked about startled then quickly surveyed the cabin for any damage and relaxed a bit finding everything still tight and dry. "Well that's quite a way to seal a deal," Harri quipped.

"So where does this leave us, Harri? How do we go forward from here?"

"I think we go on as we always have, son. Nothing needs to change on Seaview. I think we both agree duty, along with the safety of the crew and boat comes first. I still expect you to be the captain that you always are, making sure that each time we go out, we come home. I take great comfort in our checks and balances, Lee. You provide that voice of reason and sanity at times when my imagination and curiosity gets the better of me. But I think we can probably both relax around each other and the crew a little more and acknowledge what everyone else apparently has known for years. I have no fear that it will lead to a downfall in discipline on the boat, and we are after all no longer actively in the Navy," Harri replied. "I would however like to officially make you Deputy Director of NIMR. You've been carrying out those duties since we renewed your contract a few years' ago, but this action leaves no question as to your authorities and responsibilities and where you stand in the line of succession. This move will also make you more visible and known to the public and probably less useful to ONI, so I consider that a win-win. Thoughts?"

Lee chuckled and nodded in complete agreement. "I think that will work well, and when we are under Navy charter all military protocol and decorum are the norm. I'm sure Admiral Hardy will be less than thrilled, but I have been giving serious thought to curtailing my activities with ONI."

A broad smile flashed across Harri's face at that bit of news. "We're a go, then?"

"Yes sir, we are a go," Lee answered quietly, giving Harri a faint smile.

Harri frowned a bit at Lee's less than exuberant acceptance. "Is something wrong, son? Do you not really want to go through with this? If you really don't want to take this on, we can come to another accommodation."

"No, sir. Oh, god no! It's just the enormity of all this is really starting to dawn on me. It's somewhat overwhelming to be handed everything I ever wanted or dreamed about and more in one moment," Lee answered honestly as a shy smile touched his lips. "I never in my life thought this day would come."

Harri smiled and reached across the table and patted Lee's hand. "I think I understand. Until you came into my life, I never felt an overwhelming desire for a child. You changed all that Lee and left me saddened and regretful that I hadn't found you sooner and taken actions to let you know how much you mean to me. Now I can't imagine life without you here, knowing some part of me will move on once I'm gone. It's a comforting yet rather overwhelming feeling, I must admit."

Just then they felt the boat shudder and an odd sound worked its way in over the howling fury of the wind and water outside. They sat there listening intently, slowly looking around the cabin trying to identify the source as the room seemed to begin to spin. Simultaneously the answer dawned on them and they both said, "The anchor's pulled free."

Lee laughed. "Jinx! You owe me a margarita. I suppose I best head out and see what I can do about getting it reset," he said as he rose and started pulling on his storm gear.

"I'll come with you," Harri replied and stood as well.

"That's not necessary sir, at this point. No need for us both to get wet. I'll call if I need your help," Lee answered as he zipped up his coat and retrieved a flashlight. As he made his way to the cabin door, the boat suddenly lurched to a halt sending him to the deck.

"Lee! Are you all right?" Harri called out as he jumped to his feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, pushing back up to feet. "I think the anchor just found something to dig into. Since I'm dressed I might as well check on everything topside and make sure."

"Here, don't forget your safety harness. I don't want to have to go out looking for you," Harri said, winking as he tossed the device to Lee. "While you're out I'll try and reach NIMR and report our status."

Lee caught and rapidly donned the harness, then went to the cabin door and forced it open. The wind and water nearly tore the door out of his hand but he quickly tightened his grip and headed up the steps. Once on deck he attached the tether to the main mast and then began a survey of the boat. Thus far nothing had torn loose or appeared to be damaged.

The wind howled ferociously nearly deafening him and the rain pelted down in horizontal sheets that made it difficult to see. He carefully made his way forward and verified that the anchor chain was now taut so they were maintaining position against the storm. Huge waves crashed over the bow drenching him further as the boat rode over the angry sea. Satisfied there was nothing more he could do, he returned to the cabin door and detached his strap.

He eyed the conditions carefully timing the rise and fall of the waves, and the gusts of winds. In a relative moment of calm, he quickly popped open the door, stepped into the cabin and slammed it shut. Harri looked up at him more than a little startled by the sudden movement.

"How's it look?" Harri asked.

"T'aint fit fer man nor beast out there," Lee replied as he began pulling off his storm gear. "The anchor seems to be dug in tight now and from what I was able to see, the rest of the boat is still intact. The wind is really whipping around and the rain's going sideways with at least 15 foot waves breaking over the bow. Were you able to get through to NIMR?"

Harri accepted Lee's gear as he peeled it off and hung it in the head to dry. " _Necessity_ is riding it out well. If it doesn't get any worse, we shouldn't have any concerns. In answer to your question I was able to reach the security desk and let them know we're still alive and afloat. Barring any drastic changes, I told them I'd call back at 0700 tomorrow morning."

Lee nodded then looked down at his watch. It was nearly 2300 hours. "Why don't you head off to bed, Harri. I'll sit up and wait out the storm."

Harri laughed and shook his head no. "Don't think there's much chance of getting any sleep with that storm out there and the way we're bouncing around. If you don't mind, I'll just stay up as well and keep you company. This should start blowing out around 0400."

Lee shrugged and smiled. "Can't buck your logic. Did you pack any dessert in there?" Lee asked eyeing the cooler.

Harri smiled and nodded. "That I did. I threw in a few of those huge cookies. Why don't you pour us another cup of coffee and I'll dig them out."

"Aye, sir," Lee answered and moved to the sink with their cups and the thermos of coffee.

(o1ooo

Lee shot suddenly awake when his head lolled heavily to the side. He sat up straight and quickly scanned the galley of the boat where he had fallen asleep while sitting out the storm. He was immediately aware of the absence of the wind and waves pounding on the boat as it bobbed lightly on the water. He quietly got up from his seat and peered out the porthole across the cabin. The sky was still mostly dark, but the hints of dawn pushed at the bottom of the black shroud of night where it rested on the horizon. He sighed quietly in relief, the storm had passed them by and apparently, all was well.

He looked back over his shoulder and regarded Harri sleeping soundly on the other side of the table. He gave him a fond smile then picked up the Satphone and moved silently to the main cabin door, eased it open and stepped out on deck. Lee drew in a deep breath of the cool air and looked upward quickly spotting the stars and moon now clearly visible with the departure of the clouds. He gently patted _Necessity's_ mast. "Well done my girl," he whispered in his appreciation of how well she withstood the storm.

He walked quietly all around her deck and spotted no significant signs of damage. Happy with what he found, he flipped on the phone and dialed NIMR security to report their status and allow them to stand down. Having dispatched that duty, he returned to the cabin.

As he pulled the cabin door closed, the noise was enough to pull Harri from his sleep. He looked groggily up at Lee then yawned, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. "I take it the storm has passed?"

"Yep and we came through it with flying colors. I didn't spot any obvious damage to the boat, but it's still pretty dark outside yet," Lee responded.

"What time is it?"

"Just after 0500. The moon and all the stars are still out and the sea is now calm, if you couldn't already tell. I called NIMR and let them know we survived, so I think it might be time to get some sleep in our racks," Lee answered.

Harri drew in a deep breath still trying to shake off his sleep, finding he was quite tired. "That sounds like a great suggestion, Captain, and one I shall take," he said as he eased himself out of his seat. He stretched once more then moved slowly forward towards his cabin. "Night, son."

"Night Harri," Lee replied as he followed behind making his way to his own cabin, climbed quickly into his rack and was immediately fast asleep.

ooolo)

*EPIRB – Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon

3- Star of the Sea


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As the sunlight filtered through the small porthole in his cabin, Harri cautiously opened one eye and surveyed the room. He slowly opened the other then stretched and rubbed his eyes as he awoke. After a moment, he rolled over and grabbed his watch tucked between the mattress and bed frame and regarded the numbers. He blinked in amazement as the device informed him it was nearly 1400.

He listened intently for any sounds of Lee being up and about and hearing none, he quietly rolled out of bed and pulled on his sweats. He eased open his door and looked down the short passageway to Lee's cabin and saw the door open and the bed made. He harrumphed to himself wondering how much sleep he'd actually gotten then made his way to the head, and up on deck.

As he came topside, he scanned the deck and became somewhat concerned when he didn't spot Lee immediately. He walked forward and finally saw him laid out on the deck reading a book. He had apparently made a noise as he approached because Lee looked up and smiled.

"Afternoon, Sleeping Beauty," Lee chided gently, then laughed.

"Afternoon, lad," Harri responded and smiled sheepishly. "Just how long have you been up, may I ask?"

"I got up at 1000. I just couldn't stay in bed any longer plus it's such a beautiful day I had to take advantage of it."

Harri nodded knowing Lee's penchant for little sleep. That particular fact about his nature drove Jamie up the wall at times. It seemed regardless the demands on his body, he never needed more than four to five hours at most. "So now that I'm up, what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well looking at the map, we are about 80 miles out of Bahia Tortuga. I think a leisurely sail into port is in order. We can tie up in the marina and spend the night ashore. After last night, I think we're due some serious creature comforts like a long hot shower and a bigger bed."

Harri laughed. "I heartily concur with your plan. The shower sounds especially alluring. I'm a bit sore after being tossed around so much during the storm."

"Then we have a plan," Lee replied as he sat up and pushed to his feet. "If you would uncase the sails, I'll start hauling the anchor and we can be on our way."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n," Harri responded and tossed off a jaunty salute.

Lee moved forward to the winch and flipped it on. After a couple of attempts, he frowned at the chain leading to the depths below. "I think the storm set the anchor a little too well," he said. "Would you go back to the helm and maneuver us around so we can get free?"

Harri nodded, picked up the sail cover and went aft. He fired up the engine then moved the boat ahead in hopes of dislodging the anchor. Following several moves and different tactics to free it, they both knew they would either have to release the anchor or dive down and free it up manually.

Lee smiled as he walked to the storage hatch holding their dive tanks. "I really was kind of wanting to dive anyway," he said as he pulled out a tank and his weight belt. "I'll head down and see if I can get it free then we'll be on our way." He placed the tank on deck then went to the dive locker to pull out the rest of his diving gear.

Harri wasn't all that thrilled that Lee would be diving alone, but given someone needed to be on the boat to begin hauling the anchor once it was free it was a requirement. They were sitting in about 90 feet of water so it shouldn't take long to either pull the anchor free or make the decision to buy a new one when they arrived in Bahia Tortuga.

Now geared up, Lee gave Harri the 'okay' sign and stepped off the boat. He bobbed quickly to the surface where he double checked his regulator was working properly then disappeared into the murky depths below. Harri closely watched the anchor chain and knew immediately when Lee had begun trying to dislodge the anchor. The chain was waved three times letting him know the anchor was free and he began to slowly pull it up.

As the anchor became visible he was surprised not to see Lee holding onto the chain. He stood on deck scanning the water surface for any indication of where he had gone. He assumed that he was probably conducting a quick survey of the hull to determine if there had been any storm damage, but if he had intended to do that he would have told him. As the minutes began to mount up his surprise started to turn to concern.

There was no sign of Lee, no ring of rising bubbles that would have indicated he was below the boat checking things out. Now at nearly twenty minutes below the surface, concern had turned to dread that Lee had somehow become disabled or trapped below. He quickly opened the locker and pulled out a tank and weight belt all the while continuing his scan of the ocean surface for any sign of Lee.

He nearly ran back to the dive locker and pulled out his gear and returned to the anchor winch. He then slowly played out the anchor chain once more until it struck bottom and the boat was once more secured. Still no sign of Lee. He frantically began pulling on his dive gear as the minutes ticked by. He wasn't too concerned about Lee running out of air because he could easily stay down for over 90 minutes but his failure to resurface had him in a near panic.

As he prepared to lift the air tank and BC and place it on his back he suddenly heard a splash. He spun quickly around and moved in the direction of the sound. He hurried aft and finally spotted Lee floundering on the surface behind the boat.

"Admiral…" he gasped as he ineffectually tried to paddle towards the boat. "Harri help, please!"

Preparing to dive in to rescue his son, Harri was surprise to hear Lee yell. "No! Don't come in, throw me a line. Hurry…not much time."

Nelson reacted immediately and grabbed the life ring and tossed it to Lee. Lee feebly latched onto the ring and let Harri pull him to the boat. All the while he quietly kept repeating, "hurry…hurry…hurry," and warily scanned the water around him.

Once Lee was next to the boat, Harri reached down and tapping into the pent-up adrenalin and concern, managed to latch onto Lee and haul him aboard in one movement. He dragged him over the gunwale and they both crashed to the deck. As they hit the deck Lee cried out in pain and tried desperately to curl into a ball.

Harri carefully rolled Lee off him and released the buckles on his air tank and weight belt freeing him of the encumbrances. As he rolled him onto his back, he instantly spotted what appeared to be a huge tentacle of sorts stuck to his chest. He reached forward to removed it, but found his hand stopped by Lee grasping him firmly by the wrist.

"No…don't…touch," Lee gasped. He was having great difficulty breathing and was in considerable pain as evidenced by the grimace on his face.

"Lee, I need to get that off of you," Harri replied, confused by Lee's admonishment.

"No…not bare...handed. Jelly…fish stinger," he finally ground out.

Harri stared down at the huge portion of tentacle attached to Lee's chest. It was nearly eight inches wide at the end and easily three feet long. "That's not possible, Lee. There's no jellyfish in the world with a tentacle that large," Harri replied.

"Is now," Lee answered breathlessly, then suddenly rolled to the side and vomited.

Nelson galvanized into action springing to his feet and ran to the dive locker. He quickly grabbed a pair of neoprene gloves and a large waterproof bag, then bolted back to Lee's side. Lee was now curled into a tight fetal ball, his eyes screwed shut as he fought through the excruciating waves of pain and muscle cramping.

Harri gently touched Lee's arm and tried to roll him onto his back. "Lee, try to relax son. I need you to try and straighten out so I can get that thing off you. Do you hear me?"

Lee nodded weakly and tried as best he could to comply with Nelson's instructions. Harri carefully rolled him onto his back and then cautiously eased the bag up the severed end of the tentacle then delicately pulled the barbed end containing the stinging nematocysts from Lee's chest and sealed it in the bag.

Lee released a brief sigh of relief but was immediately overcome by the powerful effects of the jellyfish toxin. He groaned loudly and tried to roll back up into a ball.

With the tentacle now gone, Harri could easily see the damage it had done to Lee's chest. The area around the stings was swelling rapidly and beginning to blister. He quickly placed a finger on Lee's carotid artery to gauge his pulse. It was growing weaker and despite the extreme pain Lee was experiencing, his heartrate was decreasing.

"Lee, son, do you know what kind of jellyfish is was that stung you?"

Lee barely nodded. "Ssssea…wwwaasspp," he pushed out.

"A sea wasp? A box jellyfish? Are you sure?"

Lee nodded once then cried out in pain. Harri's face paled knowing the sea wasp was the most toxic and lethal member of the jellyfish family in the world; hell, it was one of the most toxic creatures on earth. He was also confounded by Lee's description because they were not indigenous to these waters and although one of the larger varieties of jellyfish, they should be nowhere near the size indicated by the severed tentacle.

"I need to go call Jamie and do some things so I can take care of you. Will you be all right out here for a few minutes?" Nearly a minute passed without a response. "Lee, did you hear me son? Do you understand?"

Lee finally slightly nodded he understood. Harri squeezed his shoulder reassuringly then disappeared into the cabin.

(o1ooo

It had seemed like such a simple thing to do, drop down about 90 feet and disentangle their anchor from whatever was keeping it in place. After checking his regulator once he was in the water, Lee quickly submerged and followed the anchor chain down to the bottom. The water was unusually turbid thanks to the effects of the storm so he was at a distinct disadvantage. His visibility was limited to about 20 feet in any direction and just about anything could come upon him unnoticed. He had dived in conditions far worse so he wasn't overly concerned with the lack of viz since it was so easy to focus on what he needed to do.

He rapidly reached the bottom and discovered the anchor chain had become wrapped around a rock outcrop and the flukes of the anchor had wedged themselves deep beneath a massive boulder. Lee first set about unwrapping the chain. They must have really been gyrating for the chain to get that spun up. Once the chain was free he dropped down to the anchor itself, pulled out his dive knife and dug out the soil around the rock then positioned himself so he could grab the anchor and push off from the rock hopefully pulling the flukes free. On his third attempt the anchor released.

He then shook the chain three times letting Harri know it was okay to begin hauling the anchor up. Within seconds, the anchor began to ascend. Lee was just about to grab the chain and ride it up when he caught some movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly spun around and spotted a monstrous creature making beeline for him.

Lee stared in shocked wonderment for a moment. It was undoubtedly a jellyfish, but the second biggest jellyfish he had ever seen. The box-shaped bell of the jellyfish was translucent and over twice as wide as FS-1. The tentacles flowing down from the bell were huge. The stinger laced tips were nearly a foot wide, attached to tentacles as wide as a softball and well over 50 feet long. The animal quite obviously had locked in on him as it swam rapidly towards him.

He let loose the chain and started swimming as rapidly as he could towards the stern of the boat. The jellyfish followed along and managed to overtake him despite his efforts to evade it. Lee hugged the bottom hoping the thing would lose sight of him and move on. He remained motionless for several minutes breathing shallow trying to limit the bubbles he generated that could possibly tip off his position.

After nearly 10 minutes, he cautiously eased his way forward constantly scanning for the fish. Feeling he had eluded the hungry monster, Lee pushed off the bottom and began his ascent to the surface. He cautiously turned in slow circles as he rose looking for any sign of that blob. As he neared the surface, he spun right into a dangling tentacle that he hadn't seen.

The pain was instantaneous as the nematocysts began discharging their load of toxin into this body. He felt the tentacle jerk him upwards as it moved him towards the awaiting feeder arms and mouth. Still in command of his body, Lee brought up the knife he had in his hand and sliced through the tentacle releasing him for its lethal grip.

The animal reacted immediately to the pain of the cut and loss of its quarry, and it began to search for the morsel that had worked its way free. Lee descended as quickly as he could, eluding the other questing tentacles as they flailed frantically in the water around him. Just as he hit bottom he spotted the massive body of the jellyfish descending upon him. As the longest of its tentacles was about to make contact, a small great white shark, maybe 10 feet in length, swam onto the scene, no doubt drawn by Lee's struggle to escape.

The shark honed in on him at once and as it made its run on the injured diver, the jellyfish's tentacles made contact with it repeatedly stinging the fish into submission. With a new source of food, the jelly lost interest in Lee for the moment. He ever so slowly skulked along the bottom away from the fray between shark and jellyfish, and began his painful rise to the surface. As he passed the body of the jellyfish he could clearly see the shark encapsulated inside no doubt already dead and ready for digestion.

He shuddered in horror as he realized how close he'd come to being that meal. He swam up as quickly as he could and surfaced behind the _Necessity_. He knew Harri would be worried by now and prayed that he hadn't already come in looking for him. As he splashed to the surface he was relieved to see him hurrying towards the stern most likely drawn by the noise. He put forth every ounce of energy he had calling out to him.

Harri was quite visibly shaken at Lee's appearance and was making ready to dive in to rescue him. He couldn't let that happen, he couldn't put him at risk just to save his life. He had no idea whether that thing would be coming after him or not, now that it had scored a meal.

"No! Don't come in, throw me a line. Hurry…not much time," he called out, keeping Harri safely on board. Harri acted immediately and tossed him the life ring. It was all he could do to hold on and be pulled to safety.

Once on board the boat it all became a blur as the pain, so pervasive and severe, left him thinking he was back on Odeja. He vaguely remembered speaking with Harri, answering his questions but he couldn't recall what he had said. As he lay there in the netherworld of agony his mind slipped back to the evening before and the talk they had had. Harri's words about how he valued him and how deeply cared for him seemed to chase away some of the pain. He thought of how it would feel to officially become Harri's son, then snorted derisively as he realized that just like before, it was being snatched away at the last second.

He thought he heard Harri say something about leaving him and he suddenly felt so bereft and alone. "So…damn…close this…time," he finally said, as a tear slid down the side of his face then passed out.

ooolo)

Harri snapped up the Satphone and dialed Jamieson's direct number. After two rings Jamie picked up. "Jamieson."

"Jamie, thank god you're there. It's Nelson, there's been an accident and Lee has been badly injured," Harri blurted out.

"Harri, what happened? What's wrong?!"

"I can't at this moment explain how, but Lee was attacked by a box jellyfish when he dived down to free a fouled anchor. He came floundering up to the surface and once I got him aboard he had a huge jellyfish tentacle attached to his chest," Harri reported.

"Are you sure it's a box jellyfish?" Jamie inquired, knowing full well the dangers that animal presented.

"That's what Lee said. I can't independently confirm that and what was attached to him was so far beyond anything I've ever encountered there's no telling what else it could be. The tentacle tip was nearly 10 inches wide, the girth is 4 inches around and the length is over 3 feet. I think he must have cut himself free because the end is a clean cut."

"What symptoms has he presented so far?"

"He's having difficulty breathing, his heartrate is slower than it should be given the amount of pain he's in, he's vomited once, and the area on his chest where he was stung is extremely swollen and starting to blister," Harri reported.

"Those are definitely the major symptoms for a sea wasp sting. Is the tentacle still attached to him?"

"No, I managed to get that off and have it stored in waterproof bag. He made damn sure I didn't touch it with my bare hands, so there's no worry about me."

"Good."

"What can I do to help him?" Harri asked.

"If you've got it, flush the area with vinegar, that will deactivate any nematocysts still present that haven't fired. Whatever you do, do NOT rub the area. If you can come up with some sort of heat pack, that should help with the pain. Also, check to see if you have any vitamins or supplements that contain zinc. There has been recent research that shows some positive results using zinc gluconate as a means to slow down or prevent the deterioration of the blood cell walls that the toxin causes. You need to monitor him closely, Harri. This toxin works directly on the blood cells, creating pores that allow the potassium in the cells to leak out. When the plasma potassium gets too high there's no electromotive force and the heart can't beat. In other words, he may suffer heart failure," Jamie directed.

"I think I should be able to come up with most of that," Harri answered, as he blanched at the doctor's report. "Jamie get in contact with Chip and have him bring you down here in FS-1 ASAP. I would guess you could arrive in about two hours."

"That may be a problem, Harri. When Lee called in earlier this morning letting us know you'd made it safely through the storm, Chip and Sharkey took FS-1 for an extended shakedown flight to check out the upgrades you wanted made. My guess is they're somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean right now based on what Chip told me before he left. Can you get the Mexican Navy to airlift you out?"

"Damn!" Harri swore. "I doubt the Mexican Navy is available. That storm was pretty strong and my guess is they are handling emergencies all along the coast. Jamie, have Fox get in touch with Chip and have him return immediately. He should be able to get back in under 3 hours at Mach 2. As soon as he lands you can jump on board with your supplies and be here in another 90 minutes."

"Will do," Jamie replied. "I'll also see if I can track down some antivenin for the sting. I'll call you back once we've heard from Chip and have a more definitive ETA on his arrival back here at NIMR."

"All right Jamie, I'll be standing by. Tell Chip to hurry." Nelson shut off the phone and ran his hand down his face. He let out a deep sigh then got busy with his tasks.

The galley table could be converted into another bunk and he quickly took care of that. Next, he found a large jug of white vinegar, then started a pot of water heating so that he could make heat packs as needed. Once that was done he went back on deck and over to Lee.

"Lee, son. Are you with me?"

There was no oral response, but Lee's head moved slightly toward the sound of Harri's voice. His eyes were closed and he was quite obviously struggling for breath.

"Just hang on son, I've talked to Jamie and he's given me instructions to hopefully make you more comfortable. Lee, I'm going to pour some of this vinegar on your chest, it's supposed to neutralize any nematocysts that may still be attached and unfired," Harri explained.

He uncapped the bottle then gently began pouring the liquid over the affected areas of Lee's chest. Lee moaned and grimaced as the vinegar came in contact with the areas of skin that had blistered and broken open. He tried futilely to roll away from the pain, but Harri's firm grip kept him in place.

"There son, that's done. Okay, now I'm going to pick you up and carry you into the cabin. Let me do all the work, you just relax." As carefully as he could he reached under Lee and picked him up off the deck and returned to the cabin. He gently laid him down on the bed and tried to make him as comfortable as possible.

Once certain he was settled, Harri bolted forward and looked through his toiletry kit and then moved to Lee's cabin and rifled through his looking for any vitamins or supplements with zinc. In looking through Lee's stuff he found a box of a zinc based cold remedy. He smiled slightly at having at least some luck and hurried back to the galley.

Knowing there was no way he could get Lee to take the medicine he decided to dissolve the lozenges in water and see if he could swallow it in small sips. He checked the pot of water he had started and found it at the right temperature for his heat packs. He pulled a clean towel out of one of the drawers and dipped it in the water then lightly wrung it out.

He turned back to Lee and sat down beside him on the bunk. "Lee, it's Harri, are you still with me?" He watched carefully but saw no signs of acknowledgement. "Lee I'm going to put this hot towel on your chest, Jamie says it will help with the pain." He then gently placed the towel over the stings on Lee's chest, making sure to apply as little pressure as possible. After a moment, Lee seemed to moan in relief as the heat worked its way through.

As that was working, he pulled out a glass, poured some hot water in it and dumped in all the lozenges in the pack. He stirred the mixture vigorously until the lozenges completely dissolved. He then quickly rifled through all the drawers and cabinets in the galley looking for the box of straws he had seen earlier when they had stowed their supplies. He gave a short triumphant shout as he located the box and withdrew one of the straws. He grabbed his glass of medicine and again sat next to Lee.

He reached down and picked up Lee's wrist and frowned. His heartbeat had slowed and seemed even more irregular. He also was now sweating profusely as he body tried desperately to deal with the toxin.

"Lee, I need to give you some medicine, son. It will help with the pain and make you feel stronger," Harri said as convincingly as he could. Lee moaned quietly and rolled his head away.

"Come on lad, don't fight me on this. I'm going to draw some of this liquid into the straw and then put it in your mouth, all you have to do is swallow." There was no response.

Harri placed the straw in the glass and then put his finger over the end and pulled the straw out of the glass. He then gently parted Lee's lips and slowly released the liquid into his mouth. Much to Harri's relief, Lee swallowed after a moment. He repeated the action a number of times getting nearly half the liquid in the glass down his throat.

"There son, all done for now. You just relax and concentrate on getting better."

Harri retrieved another towel from the drawer and dampened it with cool water and tenderly mopped the sweat from Lee's face and brow. He then removed the towel he used as a heat pack, rewet it and gingerly placed it back over his chest. Lee moaned again in appreciation as the heat eased his discomfort.

(o1ooo

Having done all he could for Lee for the time being, Harri looked down at his watch and realized over 90 minutes had passed. He was immediately concerned that he hadn't heard back from Jamieson or Morton on the status of their arrival. He snatched up the phone and just as he was about to dial, it rang. He jumped slightly, startled at the sound then answered. "Nelson."

"Admiral, it's Jamieson."

"Hello Will, what news? When will you arrive?"

"We got in touch with Chip, and they've run into problems with FS-1. She's just fine at normal speeds but won't engage in supersonic flight. They've narrowed it down to a wiring issue so the craft is still safe to fly but is limited in how fast they can go. They were midway over the Atlantic when we reached them and have turned around and are returning to NIMR as fast as they can. Their ETA in Santa Barbara is 7 hours. It doesn't look as though we'll be able to get to you for at least 9 hours," Jamie reported.

"Damn!" Harri swore loudly. "Why didn't they turn around the minute they discovered the problem with the supersonic flight?"

"They hadn't tried it until we called, it wasn't part of their test parameters. Fox has been in touch with the Mexican Navy and as you suspected, they are stretched very thin conducting SAR operations along Baja. They estimate they would have a unit freed up about the time we would reach you with FS-1. Our Navy and Coast Guard would be tied up in enough red tape getting authorization to assist, that we still would get to you first. I'm sorry the news isn't better. How is Lee holding up?"

"Not all that well, from what I can tell. He's still having a tough time breathing; his heartrate has slowed and is becoming somewhat erratic. He's in a great deal of pain and is suffering from muscle spasms and cramps along with sweating profusely. I did find a zinc based cold remedy in his kit and got about half a box down him and I've been applying heat packs as prescribed which seem to help with the pain. He's only peripherally aware as he's in and out of consciousness," Nelson reported.

"Well hell," Jamie responded in frustration. "Has he had any additional episodes of vomiting?"

"No, that seems to have abated. At least he's able to give the medicine a chance to get into his system."

"That's one thing in our favor. Keep up with what you're doing and see if you can get the rest of the cold remedy down him. Keep talking to him, letting him know that you're there. Also, take a little time out to rest yourself, you do him no good if you get sick," Jamie admonished.

"Will do, Doctor," Harri responded. "Keep me updated on how things are progressing. I'll hold down the fort here."

"Think positive Harri, the cavalry is on the way."

Nelson flipped off the phone and sat down heavily next to Lee, seriously disheartened at the delay in getting his son rescued. "Damn it lad, why is it always you?" he mumbled softly as he picked up the towel in the basin of water, wrung it out and gently wiped Lee's face and brow.

He reached over and retrieved the glass with the medicine and then carefully shook Lee. "Lee, can you wake up for me, please?" He was greeted with a soft grunt. "Good. Help's on the way son, it's just going to take a little longer than we thought. Will wants you to take the rest of the medicine. I'm going to feed it to you like I did before. All you need to do is swallow, can you do that for me?"

Lee moaned softly and parted his lips so Harri could place the straw in his mouth. Harri smiled slightly, maybe this stuff really was having a positive effect. Lee seemed more aware and able to assist than the first time he fed it to him. The second half of the glass went down much easier. Lee lightly licked his lips after the last straw full of liquid went down.

"Would you like some water, Lee?" Nelson asked encouraged by the reaction. Lee nodded slightly and Harri fed him another half glass of water. He then rolled onto his side and seemed to go to sleep.

Harri gently checked his pulse and respiration and breathed a sigh of relief as both seemed stronger. "Just sleep, son. They'll be here before you know it."

As he set the glass on the counter, his stomach growled loudly letting him know he needed to fill Jamieson's other prescription. He pulled out another pot and then opened and began to heat a can of soup. Once it was warm he ladled some into a large cup and sat down next to Lee and sipped on his meal.

When he got up to get another cup of soup he realized for the first time that it had gotten dark. He looked down at his watch and was amazed to find it to be nearly 2100. They had been at this for nearly six hours now. Chip should be within an hour of NIMR and then just another couple of hours before they would arrive to rescue them.

He wearily sat back down with the rest of his supper and quickly finished it off. He checked on Lee and found he was resting quietly. There was little else he could do now other than be at his side. He set down his cup and leaned his head back against the bulkhead emotionally and physically exhausted from their ordeal. Despite his best efforts, he drifted off to sleep.

ooolo)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

At the sound of FS-1's engine off in the distance, Harri immediately jolted awake. He looked down to his right to check on Lee and was immediately panicked to find the man gone. He shot to his feet and surveyed the cabin looking for him.

"LEE! LEE! Lee, where are you?!" he yelled frantically.

A moment later he saw Lee's cabin door swing open and he stepped out wearing only a towel. "Relax Harri, I'm right here. I just really needed the head and a shower, that's all," he replied walking toward Nelson.

Harri stared in gaped-jawed amazement. For a man knocking heavily at death's door a few hours ago, he looked remarkably well. His swollen and blistered chest was once again smooth, the only hint of its earlier condition a pinker than normal skin tone and some peeling skin. He was breathing and moving easily as though none of the events of the previous 9 hours had occurred.

"Harri, are you all right?" he asked, concerned by Harri's continued silence. "Was that FS-1 I heard?"

As if in answer to his question they heard what sounded like Kowalski, calling out "Ahoy, Admiral are you there?" That was quickly followed by the sound of someone landing heavily on deck.

Harri continued to stare at Lee in disbelief as he answered the hail. "Kowalski, in here!"

Lee spun around and reentered his cabin to pull on a pair of shorts before all aboard FS-1 descended upon him. As he closed the door there was the sound of several people climbing aboard and then rapid footsteps coming down into the cabin. Jamie was in the lead and rapidly scanned the cabin looking for his patient.

"Admiral, where's Lee?" he asked as he moved forward, concerned by the bewildered look on Nelson's face.

Before Nelson could formulate an answer, the cabin door in front of them was pulled open and Lee Crane stepped out looking hardy and hale. They all stood there staring at him likewise bewildered at his condition given what the admiral had reported over the Satphone.

Lee smiled as he saw his friends. "Welcome aboard." It was all he could think of to say at the moment.

"Welcome aboard? What the hell kind of greeting is that?" Chip replied incredulously. "We get this message that the admiral is all but ready to perform your burial at sea and there you stand fresh as a daisy without the slightest hint of injury, and all you can say is welcome aboard?"

"Uh…how was your flight?" Lee cracked back. A wave of relieved laughter spread through the cabin at his unexpected response.

"You know the drill Captain, about face and back in your cabin," Jamie ordered as he tried to process what he was seeing.

Lee rolled his eyes and sighed disgustedly, but knew he best comply based on the expressions on the faces around him. He turned and went back inside followed by Jamieson and Nelson. His cabin was too small to accommodate more than that so the rest of the group had to wait outside.

Jamie directed him to lie down on his bunk, then quickly applied his BP cuff and placed the earbuds of his stethoscope in his ears and listened intently to Lee's heart and lungs.

"Lee…how? When?" Harri finally managed to get out.

Once Jamie was done listening to the sounds inside his chest, Lee replied while the exam continued to include being tapped again by his personal vampire. "About a half hour ago, I woke up seriously needing to use the head. The pain and difficulty breathing was gone and I actually felt, if you will pardon the expression, fine. I looked over at you and you were sleeping soundly so I carefully rolled out of the bunk and went to use the facilities. Once I'd taken care of business, I saw the shower and immediately wanted to rinse off. I climbed inside and I was just going to let the water run over me, but the skin around the stings began to slough away and as I started rubbing it felt so good, I wound up completely scrubbing down. When I crawled out of the shower and finished drying off I looked in the mirror and was stunned to see my chest had completely healed."

"It was about that time that I thought I heard the sound of FS-1 and then Harri called out trying to find me. I had just answered him when you all arrived and came on board. I don't remember a whole lot after I was stung other than the pain, and there were times I think I flashed back to Odeja and their torture chamber, but that's it. I really can't answer any questions regarding my recovery," Lee explained.

Harri shook his head in disbelief. "How is he Jamie?"

"Based on my initial assessment, he's healthy as a horse. His vitals are perfect, there's no indication of internal damage, no pain, nothing I can point to that says he suffered any type of trauma aside from the dead skin that is sloughing off."

"How is this possible, Jamie? When I called you, his chest was a swollen, blistered, oozing mess. He was barely able to breath, his heartbeat was erratic as hell, and he was burning up with fever," Harri inquired.

"I don't have an answer for you yet Harri, but I do have a suspicion that until I get him back in Med Bay I can't confirm," Jamieson replied as he cast an appraising eye over his patient.

"You think it's the Odejaian injection, don't you?" offered Lee. Jamie nodded confirming his supposition. "Damn, more time in Med Bay. I think I may just resign now, sir."

"Not on your life, lad. I have too much invested in you to let you escape that easily," Harri replied as he patted Lee on the leg. "We'll find out what happened son, don't worry."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Lee answered only half-kidding. "I don't want to become some exhibit in a hospital for the rest of my life. I hope you both understand that."

"Understood, Lee," Jamie answered. "Well I guess it best we get you back to NIMR, so we can start finding out exactly why you didn't die." Lee sneered at him a bit.

"That's nice for a change," Harri responded with a relieved chuckle.

"Admiral, there is the root problem of what attacked me to be addressed as well," Lee interjected. "It was one of the biggest jellyfish I've ever seen, second only to that coelenterate that attacked us while looking for the Neptune*. Sir, this one seemed to think, more than react. It targeted its attack on me once it found me. What was truly frightening was watching it attack, kill, and then enshroud a 10-foot great white shark that tried to sneak in and also make a snack of me."

"One enigma at a time, Lee," Harri answered. "Let's get you taken care of, and then we'll all be back to find out if this is just a freak of nature or if there is a bigger problem stewing in this area."

"I agree whole heartedly," Jamie chimed in. "We need to make sure that there will be no unwanted side-effects from your encounter, and we need to get home sooner than later to get started. So, if you would be so kind as to grab whatever gear you need and we'll get loaded up and on our way home."

"But what about my boat?" Lee whined, not the least bit willing to leave her out here alone.

"O'Brien and Kowalski were brought along with the sole mission of returning the other girl in your life back to her slip safe and sound. Now move," Jamie ordered as he pulled the door open.

Lee sneered at Jamie, then grabbed his gym bag from the cabinet and stuffed a change of clothes, his wallet, passport, keys, and phone inside. He went into the head and collected up his toiletry kit and shoved it in too. He then got a clean shirt and pulled in on, followed by his shoes.

Harri went to his cabin to collect his personal effects and then collected the sealed water-tight bag that contained the tentacle he had removed from Lee's chest, from the cooler.

(o1ooo

Lee was hustled quickly off the _Necessity_ and ensconced in the bunk on FS-1 for the ride home, much to his vocal opposition. O'Brien and Kowalski were given the responsibility of getting the captain's boat back to Santa Barbara along with very specific orders that they were at no time to enter the water.

Sharkey busily stowed all the gear the admiral and captain were bringing back, then eased into the co-pilot seat and began working through his pre-flight checklist. Having completed his list as pilot, Chip turned around to verify that everyone was belted in and ready for takeoff. As he looked back to the bunk, he and Lee locked eyes for a brief moment. Apparently, Chip was not hiding his frustration and consternation with this unexpected adventure well. Like Nelson some hours earlier, he wondered silently why these things always seemed to happen to Lee.

"It wasn't my fault," Lee replied, defensively. "I would have just as soon been back on Seaview, but was not allowed that option."

Chip smiled and shook his head. "I know Lee, I'm just worried about you, that's all."

Lee returned his smile grudgingly then rolled over on his back, slung his arm over his eyes and closed them, as he too dealt with the frustration of yet another setback in returning to his gray lady and life outside Med Bay. He pondered why the universe had it out for him, but did smile slightly to himself as he replayed the discussion between him and Harri. " _Maybe this time I might just make it,"_ he thought to himself then drifted off to sleep.

It was nearly 0300 by the time FS-1 landed and nudged gently against the dock at NIMR. Crewmen were there waiting to take charge of the small vessel, along with a stretcher and ambulance to transport Lee to Med Bay. As Lee climbed out of the little sub he scowled at the stretcher and attempted to make his way over to the waiting transportation on foot.

"Ahem," Jamieson said loudly as he pointed to the waiting stretcher. "Get on, or I will have them sedate you and tie you to it. It's late and I'm in no mood to play games."

Lee glared at him. He too was in no mood to play games and was preparing to lambast the good doctor when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned finding it was Nelson. He averted his eyes slightly as he fought hard to push down his anger. "Come on son, you might as well get the full worth of your ticket," he said patting him gently on the back. "You know Jamie's right; excessive activity could trigger some unexpected response."

Lee drew in a deep breath and blew it out. "Fine," was all he said then trudged over to the gurney and laid down. "Happy?"

"Thank you, Skipper," Jamie replied quietly. "I know this is the last place in the world you wanted to see so soon, but I have no idea what's going on or what could go wrong. All right, let's get you checked in and get started so we can get you out as soon as possible."

ooolo)

It was a whirlwind of activity once they arrived at Med Bay. Lee was whisked off to an exam room where additional samples were collected, and he was closely scrutinized from head to toe. When that was finished, he was wheeled off to the MRI room and imaged in his totality. Jamieson had tried to send the other members of the group home to get some rest, but all adamantly refused to budge until at least some initial results were received.

Lee for his part just bit his tongue as he was poked, prodded, irradiated, and imaged. He tried desperately to control his irritation at being little more than a lab project at the moment, and breathed a sigh of relief when he was wheeled into his room and given a moment of privacy and peace. Once the nurse left, he climbed out of bed and availed himself of the head and then began pacing around his room as he waited for some answer from Jamieson on his condition.

The only bright spot in the entire ordeal was that given his improbable recovery from the sea wasp venom, Jamieson was unwilling to give him any medication to knock him either down or out. He hated not being entirely in control of mind and body and was thankful for this window of uncertainty that stayed the doctor's hypo. Given all that had happened, he wasn't tired in the least and continued his laps of the room.

After about 30 minutes, the door to his room swung open and Jamie stepped in followed closely by Nelson and Morton. The doctor scowled at him immediately and pointed to the bed. Lee returned the scowl but returned to his bed and climbed in, much to the relief of Harri and Chip. They were all spent from the stress of the day and really weren't up to mediating another round between the doctor and his patient.

"Well? Will I live?" Lee asked as the silence seemed to drag on.

"Based on what we're finding, yes you will live," Jamie replied wearily.

"So, any idea what happened to accelerate his healing so much?" Nelson inquired.

"No, not really. There's nothing in his chemistry that's popping up and saying it's responsible for his good health. There's also not so much as a hint of the venom that he had been injected with by the animal. I'm too tired to begin looking at his MRI for any changes internally because I'd most likely miss what I'm looking for unless it's blatantly obvious. What I would like us ALL to do is go to our respective homes, save one person, and get some rest. From what I've seen so far, Lee's in no danger and I'll have the staff closely monitoring him for any change," Jamie explained.

"Oh joy," Lee deadpanned, not the least bit thrilled at facing the constant scrutiny. Jamie raised an eyebrow as he regarded him. "Yeah, I know, just suck it up and be happy I'm alive," he snarled.

"I'll have them keep the disturbances to a minimum, Skipper," Jamie assured. Lee gave him a grudging smile and nod of thanks for that.

"All right Jamie, I think that's a sound recommendation," Harri cut in. "It's 0900 now, I say we all head to bed and try and get some badly needed sleep. Lee, you do the same and relax as best you can."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll be back around 1500, and _then_ we can start addressing the other issue of that jellyfish while Will continues his investigation into how you healed up so fast. That should keep us equally engaged until such time he isolates the reason. Is that acceptable to all?" Harri continued. Everyone mumbled their agreement. "All right, then let's all head to bed. I'll see you in a bit, Lee. Try and get some sleep, okay son?"

"Aye, sir," Lee replied and settled down in bed as he watched his friends exit the room. He then turned his gaze to the ceiling and contemplated the tiles trying to spot faces or animal shapes in the patterned dots to occupy his mind. He knew from long ago that there were exactly 67 and three quarters tiles composing the ceiling and had given up counting them awhile back.

As he gazed up he was disappointed that all he spotted were the same old faces and animals he'd found in previous stays. He chuckled quietly to himself as he thought over Harri's desire to make him the Deputy Director of NIMR. If he followed through, his first action would be to require they change out the ceiling tiles in this room during the planned upgrade and remodel of the facility. He would also require that they use smaller ceiling tiles with a more intricate pattern; he wanted something new to read during his periods of incarceration. He laughed out loud as he imagined Harri's, Chip's, and Jamie's face as he justified that requirement.

Finding himself bored with the ceiling and actually rather tired, he closed his eyes and started to drift off. As he did he heard the door to his room open quietly. He didn't react, keeping his eyes shut and remaining still. The door was then eased shut by whomever had looked in. Lee smiled knowing that one of the nursing staff had been sent down to make sure he was still in bed. Now hopefully safe from another intrusion for a while, he finally released his hold on consciousness and drifted off to sleep.

(o1ooo

* Mutiny


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Jamie proved true to his word, as Lee was only aware of one other entrance to his room by the nursing staff after the initial bed check. He had gotten about four hours of sleep which was close to what he normally got when at sea on Seaview and felt alert and refreshed. Once awake he willingly allowed the nurse to collect samples, ate lunch, and then flipped on the TV and started to catch up on current events following their limited access to news while on the boat.

At precisely 1500 Harri walked through the door looking rested and minus his beard. "Afternoon Lee, how are you feeling?"

"I feel good, sir. There's no pain, no difficulty breathing, or any hangover from the stings as best I can tell. The only thing that's even remotely related to the attack is my chest itches from time to time as it finishes healing," Lee responded.

"That's good to hear. Has Jamie been in yet to see you?" Harri inquired, curious if there had been any developments.

"No, not yet. Other than the nurses, you're my first visitor," Lee replied.

Harri smiled and then opened the briefcase he had with him and pulled out a folder containing a number of papers. "Before things get too crazy again, I would like you to look over these documents and if acceptable, sign them. I told you Lee, I've been planning this for months and I don't want any doubt in your mind that I want you to become my son and heir," he said as he placed the folder on the tray table in front of Lee.

Lee stared stupidly at them for a moment, almost at a loss for knowing how to open the folder. After nearly a minute he reached up and pulled back the top cover and regarded the stack of paper inside.

"Is something wrong, Lee?" Harri asked, becoming concerned with Lee's silence and reticence to open the folder.

Lee scratched the back of his head then looked up at Harri, trying desperately to control the tears that had suddenly welled up inside him. "No…no, not at all," he finally squeaked out. He cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes, then continued in a stronger voice. "This is just so overwhelming, Harri. Up until now this has all been good intentions and promises, something that I've been well acquainted with in the past. This…these papers… this makes it all real. I never really believed this would actually occur because it seems every time we talk about us and how we regard each other, something rises up like a monster to block our way forward. I never really doubted you Harri, how you feel about me, and what you said you wanted to do, I just figured we'd never actually get around to making it legal."

Harri smiled, reached over placing his hand on Lee's shoulder and gave it a strong squeeze. "I understand completely, son. You're right, we always seem to get so close and then tying up the loose ends gets waylaid by current events. I want to strike now Lee, before anything crops up so there's never any doubt about my intentions or sincerity."

Lee returned Harri's smile then quickly began perusing the sheets of paper before him. After working his way through the document, he looked up at Nelson. "You're sure you want to go through with this, sir?" he asked in all sincerity. "I don't need this, I will always think of you as my father, and can't ever seeing my feelings for you diminishing. You don't have to give me anything, my loyalty and love are already yours. Sheesh, I sound like a faithful dog."

Nelson laughed. "We've been over this ad nauseam, lad. You're the man I would be honored to call my son, you're the man I want taking NIMR forward and keeping all that we've worked for continuing on for the benefit of the world, and _you_ are the one I want protecting my legacy and allowing me to take care of you once I'm gone. I have never known anything so absolutely in my life. There is no doubt, there will be no regrets. If you have no doubts or reservations, then please sign the documents and become my son and heir."

"Never any doubts and never any reservations. Thank you, sir, thank you for giving me everything I've ever wanted in this life, and I don't just mean what we're talking about now. I just hope I do you and your legacy proud," Lee replied as he picked up the pen and signed and initialed where indicated. He recapped the pen, closed the folder and then handed it back to Harri. "I guess that makes us officially family." A huge smile spread across his face as Harri placed his arm around his shoulder and pulled him tight against him.

"That it does, Son. Welcome to the family," Harri replied, as he wiped away the burgeoning tears in his eyes. After a moment, he cleared his throat, then slipped the file folder back into his briefcase and snapped it shut. "Once the papers have been filed, we'll announce your new position with NIMR. Do you want to say anything about you now being my son and heir? This is totally up to you, lad."

Lee remained silent for a moment as he both reveled in his new family and considered the ramifications of that new commitment. "Harri, if we worked solely on research, and were without the missiles and security obligations to the country, I would be out on the front lawn right now screaming about this at the top of my lungs. But we don't, we have too many associations with the military and national security, and along with that comes the unsavory attention that draws to us personally and to NIMR. I don't want to give the enemies we have another avenue of attack against you. I know you would never sacrifice the nation or NIMR over my safety, but they don't know that, and I don't think we should tempt them further. My new position alone will tell those closest to us how you regard me, and for now I think that should be sufficient. What do you think?"

Harri nodded in agreement as he considered Lee's rationale. "I think you're right, but I wanted to give you the option to make it publicly known. Like you, I would like to be out there yelling ' _It's a boy_ ', letting the whole world know about my new son, but your argument completely captures my reservations about making all our new agreements open to the general public. I'm sure it will eventually come out, but this gives us time to grow into our new roles without the undue scrutiny."

Lee smiled, then extended his hand and they shook on their agreement and new relationship. Harri smiled as well and reached over and affectionately ruffled his son's hair to the amusement of them both.

"Well now that that's taken care of, I think we need to see about that jellyfish and what we can do about it."

ooolo)

As Harri was about to continue on, their attention was drawn to the television by a story about a sudden spate of fatal encounters with jellyfish occurring along the western side of Baja California. In the past two days four divers had been killed, a number of dead fish including large sharks, and some dolphins and seals had washed ashore all bearing the telltale signs of jellyfish stings. The authorities were extremely concerned and had issued warnings to curtail any in-water activities along the coast. Just as the story finished both Chip and Jamie entered the room.

"Afternoon, Lee. How are you feeling?" Jamie inquired, then moved to Lee's side, picked up his wrist and began taking his pulse.

"Hi Jamie, Chip. I'm feeling well," Lee answered. "No hint of any hangover from yesterday. Any progress on why that's so?"

"So far nothing," Jamie replied. "Your chemistry is the same as when you left, there's nothing outside the norm that I can point to. There has definitely got to be some carry over from that injection you received, but I just can't locate where in your body it's being stored. I will begin poring over your MRI to see if I can spot any anomalies within your body, but that is going to take some time."

"Will, would it be all right to have Lee accompany me to the lab and help me begin my investigation on the tentacle I removed from his chest? I promise nothing overly strenuous, note taking primarily, but I think that should channel his nervous energy in an acceptable way," Harri asked.

Jamieson mulled over the request, and given their failure to date to spot anything odd he nodded slowly. "Yes, I think that could be arranged for a few hours, on the condition that if you begin to feel ill or manifest other symptoms you return to Med Bay at once. I may need to have additional blood samples drawn, but at least I'll know where he is and won't have to worry about a jail break. I also want him to spend at least one more night in Med Bay for observation just to be on the safe side. Also, if you would gather a sample of the venom for me, I can continue my investigation on his body's reaction to it.

"I think our investigations on both fronts will be of value beyond just Lee. We just watched a news story about the deaths of some divers and several large marine animals washing up dead on the beaches of Baja from apparent jellyfish stings. The problem seems to be more than a single aberrant animal," Nelson explained.

"That was one of your concerns wasn't it Lee?" Chip asked.

"Definitely. As big as the one was that attacked me, there's nothing I can think of that will control it and that could prove to be bad news for that entire region," Lee replied. "That storm probably had something to do with pulling them up from the depths and into the shallower waters along the coast. We need to get back down there and find out what's going on."

Harri chuckled quietly at Lee's ardent response.

"What?" Lee asked, more than a little surprised at Nelson's reaction.

"Oh nothing, it's just that you sound just like me, Son," Harri answered.

Lee blushed slightly and began to laugh as well, as Chip and Jamie looked on more than a little confused at the byplay. "I'll tell you about it later," Lee replied as he made eye contact with Chip. He figured Harri would do the same with Jamie.

"All right then. Why don't you get cleaned up, get rid of that fur on your face, and we'll head on down to the lab?"

Lee smiled, bounded out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom.

"Chip, have repairs been started on FS-1 yet?" Harri inquired, forestalling any inquiries into the exchange between he and Lee.

"Sharkey and the maintenance group started tearing her apart this morning. They're completing a full diagnostic on all propulsion systems to determine why the engines would not engage the supersonic thrusters. Hopefully it comes down to something as basic as a bad circuit card or contact," Chip answered. "He thinks she should be ready to fly in three days, tops."

"Good. You also need to get the crew on prepping Seaview for a trip down to Baja. There is definitely something going on down there and I want to find out what. Can we be ready to sail in a week? I think O'Brien and Ski should be back in Santa Barbara by then."

"Yes sir. Seaview has had all her maintenance following our last mission and we just need to provision her for the trip. How long do you expect us to be down there?" Chip asked.

"That's a tough question, since we don't know when we will stumble upon the jellyfish. Let's start with 30 days, and if we need to we'll break off and come back to resupply," Nelson answered. "Will, do you see any problem with Lee captaining this mission? And what would you need to bring along to continue your research on his miraculous recovery?"

Jamieson regarded the admiral for a moment weighing the pros and cons of letting his reluctant patient out of his immediate control. "Well, since you're giving me a week to try and pin things down, and I'll be able to observe him fairly closely for any adverse reactions, I think he should be up to it. I'm not thrilled with the idea, but given his current state of health there's nothing preventing him from taking command. As far as what I need, I think most of it is already on-board Seaview. I'll have a better idea once I've had a chance to review everything we've got right now."

"Excellent," Harri responded. "If there is something you need that we can take along, let Chip know so he can have it brought aboard."

"I will. Right now, I think everything I need is either in Sick Bay or in your lab," Jamie answered. "Well I best get started reviewing Lee's MRI to see if everything is as it should be. Let me know when you have a venom sample for me, and I'll come down and pick it up."

"Great. I should have something for you in an hour or so," Harri replied. "Chip, are you going to join us?"

"Not right now sir, I need to check on FS-1 and get LT James started on the mission prep for our trip south of the border. I'll pop in once that's firmly on track and see if you're in need of any assistance," Chip answered.

"Very good gentlemen, we all have our assignments so let's get to it," Harri stated. They all nodded and dispersed in different directions.

(o1ooo

Harri and Lee made their way immediately to Nelson's lab. Once there Harri walked over to the walk-in cooler and retrieved the water-tight bag containing the tentacle tip he had peeled off Lee's chest. As he did that, Lee collected a large plastic bin in which to place the sample and set it on top of the counter. He then grabbed two sets of thick gloves with gauntlets so they would be able to safely handle and manipulate the tentacle without fear of being stung.

Nelson placed the bag next to the tray and opened it up. He donned a pair of the gloves and cautiously reached into the bag while Lee held it steady, picked up the slimy sample and laid it in the tray. Lee's eyes went wide at finally getting a good look at what had had him in such pain.

"Wow," he said quietly, somewhat in awe as he looked over the massive piece of jellyfish. "I had no idea it was that big. Once it made contact, all I could focus on was cutting myself free and making it to the surface."

"I had the same reaction when I rolled you over and saw that thing attached to your chest. I'm just lucky I had put my wetsuit top on or I would have been stung when I pulled you aboard," Harri responded. "So, you said the bell was at least twice as wide as FS-1?"

"Looking at it in the water, that was my guessimate. It just kind of appeared out of the murk as I was heading towards the surface."

"Well first things first, let's see if we can positively identify its taxonomy. Although based on your description, I don't think that's going to be much of a challenge. Everything you said is consistent with a box jellyfish," Harri said as he made his way to a bookcase on the far wall, then returned with a large text on coelenterates. He cracked the book open and quickly located the pages on _Chironex fleckeri_.

An in-depth study of the object confirmed Lee's identification of the attacking jellyfish. Nelson found it fascinating to be able to see with the naked eye the stinging nematocysts which on a normal sized animal were microscopic. Apparently as the creature grew in size, aspects of its body just increased in size instead of in number. The tip was studded with stinging cells making it a very lethal weapon in the animal's arsenal. He extracted a number of the cells and placed them in a vial for Jamieson's use, plus several for his own use, then placed the specimen back into the cooler.

He next began both chemical and radiological analyses trying to identify what had sparked this unprecedented growth. Finding no signs of radiation in the tissues, that most likely left chemical exposure along with environmental factors that spurred the increase in size. He then started looking for chemicals with known mutagenic side effects as the possible culprits.

Lee assisted by running the various samples through the GC/MS* looking for chemicals that shouldn't be present in the normal box jellyfish. He also cataloged the results and prepared slides for Harri to view in the electron microscope.

Around 1700 Jamieson wandered his way down to the lab to pick up his samples and to check in on his most difficult patient. He peeked in through the slender rectangular window in the door and observed both men working diligently at their tasks. Lee was moving easily showing no signs of any aftereffects from his encounter with the jellyfish. He shook his head slightly as he was still confounded by his ability to shake off the effects of the toxin so easily, and at the rapid rate his chest healed.

"Doing a little ONI work?" Chip whispered into Jamie's ear, having spotted the doctor spying on the men inside, then sneaked up behind him unobserved. Jamie jumped and spun around rapidly bumping hard into the door. Chip burst out laughing at catching the physician so unawares.

"Shit! Don't do that Chip, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Jamie hissed at his tormentor.

"It's not nice to spy on people, you know that," Chip taunted as he waved to the two men inside the room who were now well aware of Chip's and the doctor's presence. "One might think you've been hanging around Lee far too long."

Jamie sneered at him and grabbed the handle to the door. "Aren't you supposed to be working on FS-1 or something?" he sniped.

"I'm done with that for now, Sharkey has it well in hand and on schedule. I came down to see if the admiral needed more help," Chip replied with a chuckle.

Jamie harrumphed in response, then pulled open the door so they could enter and join the other men who were curiously staring at the heated exchange going on outside the door. Chip entered first, a broad smile on his face with Jamie following behind with a scowl on his.

"What's going on out there?" Lee asked as he took in the disparate expressions on his friend's faces.

"I was just pointing out to the good doctor that it wasn't nice to play peeping Tom through the window," Chip replied with a snort of amusement.

"Damn near scared me to death," Jamie jumped in. "I was merely observing you to see how you were doing, so I could get an accurate idea of whether you were having problems or not, Captain. We all know how forthcoming you are on the subject of your health." Harri and Lee just laughed.

"I also accused him of being around a certain ONI agent too long, and that he had picked up some of his unsavory habits," Chip added as he patted Jamieson on the back.

Ignoring the taunt, Jamie asked the question most on his mind. "Since the subject has been broached, how are you feeling, Lee?"

"I know you hate this, but fine. No pain, nothing, I feel really good," Lee answered honestly.

"From what I've seen, Will, it's just as he said," Nelson added. "Of course, the work has been rather sedate, but there have been no episodes of anything that rates as a left-over reaction to the venom. It doesn't appear as if we have an Irukandji type syndrome to deal with in this case."

"That's heartening to hear," Will replied. "Have you got a sample for me yet? I'd like to start testing the neuro toxicological properties of the venom and see if there are any components in Lee's blood."

"Right here," Harri said, as he held up the vial. "I had just finished collecting the nematocysts before you came in. I'm amazed at how large they are, but given the size of the tentacle and based on what Lee said he saw, I guess I shouldn't be too shocked."

Will accepted the vial and stared at the material inside. "Wow those are big. It's a wonder you survived at all Lee, unless perchance the venom became diluted as the animal grew. I suppose that's the first test I need to run."

"Based on how quickly it subdued that shark, I kind of doubt that Jamie," Lee offered.

"That had to be something to see," Chip replied. "Didn't you say that thing came after you? I thought jellyfish were pretty much at the mercy of the current. How was it able to track you?"

"Better the shark than me," Lee answered. "Yeah it was tracking me, following me as I tried to escape. It was actively hunting me because it disappeared for a moment swimming up and out of sight and then got me as I started my rise to the surface. Once I cut myself free and returned to the bottom, that's when the shark appeared and it grabbed it instead. What surprised me was how fast it was, like you, I expected it to just float along."

"Box jellyfish are among the most developed of the jellyfish family. They have 12 pairs of true eyes with corneas, retinas, and lenses that allow them to see their prey more so than just sense light and dark. They also are capable of directional swimming and can chase down their prey. The normal sized box jellyfish can reach speeds of about 4.6 miles per hour so there's no telling how fast the super-sized version can travel. I would hazard that its ability to move through the water is proportionally faster, which would allow it go after the bigger fish it would need to maintain that much body mass," Harri provided.

"That's a rather frightening and sobering thought," Lee responded. "Think of having a huge glob of goo coming at you at a high rate of speed, and probably your only protection is getting out of the water. I don't suppose this thing has any predators, does it?"

"There are fish and turtles that feed on them, but unless something like you saw is attacked by a school of fish I'm not sure there's anything out there that could take it on. They basically are an apex predator with nothing but the food supply to check their growth and population," Harri replied.

"If there's more than one of those things, it's really going to present a danger to people in the water," Jamieson added. "It's good in a way that we're on the leading edge of hopefully developing an antivenin for this thing."

"I concur. Once we've completed some of our initial tests we need to get in touch with the Mexican officials and let them know what we have," Harri answered. "So, have you made any discoveries from your samples, Will?"

"It looks almost as if Lee's body is somehow generating an antibody or other immunity to the toxins in the jellyfish sting. There definitely has to be some latent effect from that injection you gave him, as evidenced by the rapid rate of healing on his chest, but I have as yet been able to identify where the residual drug is residing in his body," Will began. "I've completed the review of his brain scan and that's as normal as it can be, and once I get back to my office I'll move on to his other organs to see if there are any telltale signs of change since his exposure to the toxin."

Lee snarled at Will's dig and then smiled as the other men laughed.

"That's good to hear," Harri replied, as he patted Lee on the shoulder. He took a quick look at his watch and noticed it was nearly 1800. "How about we adjourn to the cafeteria for dinner and then we can all resume our research?"

"That sounds like an excellent suggestion, Admiral," Chip chimed in. Will nodded his agreement as well while Lee shrugged in resignation, not being the least bit hungry.

"Great. Just let me start this gene sequencer on its mission and we'll be on our way," Harri replied, and then flipped the switch.

Following a quick dinner and further discussion on the topic, Harri decided it would be better to contact the Mexican authorities sooner than later, to let them know of NIMR's work. He headed back to his office to contact a colleague within the Mexican Navy to inform them about their research and to offer assistance in tracking down the mutant jellyfish and finding a solution to the problem. While Jamie returned to his lab to begin work on the samples Nelson had given him, and Chip and Lee headed down to the dock to check on the status of FS-1.

ooolo)

The phone rang twice. "Lopez," was the terse response.

"Halo Marco? Harriman Nelson, aqui. Como estas?" Harri responded.

"Harri? Muy bien, mi viejo amigo. How the hell are you?"

"I'm doing well myself. You sound a bit tense, my friend," Harri answered.

"I've been better to tell the truth. I don't know if you've heard or not, but we seem to be having a problem with jellyfish attacking and killing divers, marine mammals and large fish. We've been bombarded with reports from the mid-Baja California area and haven't a clue where these things are coming from," Marco replied. "Your call couldn't be better timed, I was just about to give you a ring."

"That's the very reason I'm calling. I was down in the area pleasure sailing with the captain of my submarine and he was attacked by a massive box jellyfish. I honestly thought I was going to lose him. When he was attacked, he was able to cut off the barbed end of the animal's tentacle and make it to the surface before he was overcome by the venom. We've been able to verify that the animal is a box jellyfish and are just now starting our investigations into its toxin and how it mutated into such a monstrous size," Harri explained. "I was wondering if you would like some assistance from NIMR in locating these animals and discovering how and why they've turned up in your neck of the woods."

"Dios mio, how is your friend?" Marco inquired.

"He's recovering nicely," Harri replied, not going into his rather remarkable recovery.

"Bueno. We would be more than happy to accept any assistance you can throw our way Harri. We've only started with the autopsies and necropsies on the recovered bodies and animals to determine the cause of death. We're also at the severe disadvantage of not having a submersible vessel capable of going into the depths to look for the animal," Lopez responded.

"We are more than happy to assist you in your research. Once we got back from Baja, we heard that there had been four divers killed, have there been others?"

"Unfortunately, yes, the count is now up to six and there are another eight people missing. The fatal attacks have spanned approximately 200 miles along the coast, so there are either more of these animals out there or one that can move extremely fast."

"Lee said that the one that came after him, stalked him in the water. He witnessed the fish sting and subdue a 10-foot great white shark and draw it up into the bell. He also said that the thing looked to be twice the width of our flying sub, which would make it nearly 80 feet wide. The tentacle we recovered from Lee's chest after he was stung, makes that approximation pretty close."

"Eighty feet?! How big was the tentacle?" Marco responded, incredulous of Nelson's report.

"Lee cut through it about three feet above the stinging tip. The tentacle itself is four inches thick and the tip with all the nematocysts is over 10 inches in width and 3 feet long. From our initial inspections, the stinging cells are now visible to the naked eye, so they appear to have increased in size with the animal but not in number. We're at a point now of evaluating the toxin to determine its potency relative to a normal member of its species."

"So, you think that it may be lower allowing your captain to survive?"

"No, we suspect the opposite based on what Lee observed in the shark attack, that or the volume in each nematocyst is greatly increased. He said the fish was immobilized almost immediately which would indicate something with much greater toxicity than a regular sized box jellyfish," Harri answered.

"Then how do you explain your friend's survival?" Lopez inquired dubiously.

"I was able to get him out of the water immediately and neutralize the unspent nematocysts before they could discharge. I also had immediate access to my own physician via satellite phone and he directed treatment for the stings. They were also able to arrive relatively quickly in FS-1 and evacuate Lee back to NIMR for additional treatment and observation," Harri explained, hoping his friend wouldn't push the issue further for the moment.

"That's most fortunate for your captain. Would you have your physician send his recommended treatment to my office so we can distribute that out to the field in case we have additional incidents and our responders can get to them before they die?" Lopez asked.

"Of course, I'll have Jamieson get in touch with you or your point of contact as soon as we hang up. So back to a joint investigation, we are waiting for some repairs to be made to one of our pieces of equipment and for the return of a couple of critical staff, then we should be able to shove off in about six days," Nelson said. "Marco, would you like to accompany us on this mission?"

"I would love to Harri, but I'm needed here right now with the crisis. I'm on constant standby to the President as this situation worsens. I would like to help you out any way I can though," Lopez replied, obviously disappointed at not being able to join Nelson on Seaview.

"I understand completely, I've been in similar situations in the past. If you could send along the reports on where the attacks have occurred thus far, then hopefully we can establish a search area for our initial investigation," Harri answered.

"Gladly. I'll have my staff get right on it and also get you a point of contact for your Dr. Jamieson. Mucho gracias, mi amigo. I'll call you back shortly. Adios."

"If I'm not available, leave your information with my admin assistant and she'll see to that everything is taken care of. Adios, Marco."

(o1ooo

*GC/MS – gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Lee and Chip walked down to the subpen to check on Sharkey's progress with repairs to FS-1. As they approached the yellow craft they could hear him grumbling loudly about something he had found inside.

"Chief, what do you have?" Chip inquired, concerned by his agitated state.

"Look like there's some sort of problem with the wiring itself and not the components, Mr. Morton," Sharkey replied as he worked his way out from behind a panel.

"What kind of problem?" Lee inquired, making the man jump.

"Skipper?!" he replied, rapidly turning around. "Great to see you out and about sir. How ya feeling?"

"Thanks, Chief, I'm feeling fine. What kind of problems are you finding?" Lee inquired.

"Here, sirs, look at this," he answered as he passed sections of wire to both officers. "The wiring just crumbles when you flex it, so whoever did the maintenance last time did it correctly but the materials are really subpar. I think as soon as the wiring heated up it just disintegrated."

Crane and Morton rolled the wire between their fingers and watched it literally crumble in their hands. "Who supplied the wire?" Chip asked.

"I think that it's from our regular supplier. I have Riley pulling the spools and manifests to see where it came from and to find out where all it's been installed."

"If I'm not mistaken, this wire is specific to FS-1," Lee said as he regarded the color of the outer coating on the wire. "If that's the case we shouldn't have to worry about installation elsewhere on Seaview."

"That would be a godsend since we recently completed some significant upgrades and rewiring after our last voyage," Chip offered. "Regardless, I think we need to do a visual of the sections we worked on."

"I agree," Lee replied. "Here comes Riley now with a spool of wire."

"Hi Skipper, Mr. Morton," Riley said as he approached and then passed the wire to Sharkey. "I checked the inventory and this stuff is used solely on FS-1 for the engine circuits. This is the spool Maintenance is currently pulling from, and according to the manifest it's from WWW Wiring, instead of the regular company. They were out last time we needed this and they recommended we contact WWW as a source."

Sharkey passed the wire to Crane who inspected it closely. "Chief, get our engineering lab to run a test on this and verify whether this is up to spec or not. If it's not get in touch with the company and let them know and see what they have to say about it."

"Aye, sir," Sharkey responded as he took the spool back from Crane.

"Have you pulled the rest of this wire from FS-1?" Chip inquired as he dumped the sample he had in the trash can.

"Not yet, sir. I wanted to find out what wire we had in stock before we started the swap out. I'm gonna contact our regular supplier and see if they have it in inventory now, and once we get it start the project." Sharkey replied.

"Okay, Chief, keep us apprised. I think we're going to need FS-1 sooner than later," Lee commented. "Let's head back to the admiral's lab and see how he's progressing."

ooolo)

Upon his return to his lab, Will opened the vial containing the nematocysts collected by Nelson and carefully deposited the sample in a small tray. He extracted some of the individual stinging cells and collected the toxin each contained. He next took a small sample from one of Lee's blood samples and mixed the two together in a flask. He then grabbed a pipette and pulled a small sample of the mixture and quickly applied it to a slide and placed it under his electron microscope.

He was amazed at what he saw. The white blood cell lymphocytes reacted immediately to attack the jellyfish toxin. The antibodies encapsulated and neutralized the offending antigen working like an antivenin. He blew out a slow, astounded breath of air. This adaption of Crane's immune system raised some interesting questions and the degree to which the changes had occurred.

He conducted yet another experiment to determine if what he was seeing was a fluke or that Lee's adaptive immune system, no doubt with the aid of the Odejaian drug, was now capable of producing memory B and memory T cells capable of detecting and destroying jellyfish venom. Once again, the cells flocked to the undesired antigen eliminating the threat. Will sat back, stunned by the mutation in Lee's system and wondered how permanent and far reaching those changes would be.

As he mulled over the possibilities, he switched back to reviewing Lee's MRI images. Having already completed a review of his brain, he moved to the heart and found everything in order. He proceeded next to the spleen and then the liver. It was at that point that his search screeched to a halt.

Will stared in amazement at the changes to Lee's liver. In reviewing the images, it appeared as if he had generated a fifth lobe to the organ. It was perfectly shaped and appeared as though it had always been a part of the structure. It was fully integrated into the organ and had established direct connections with the major vessels and arteries passing through, just like the other lobes. He quickly pulled up the last lab results from Lee's liver function tests and found them all to be textbook perfect. A review of his blood tests indicated no trace whatsoever of the jellyfish toxin or even any of the drugs he had administered. He reviewed all his other lab results and found them perfect as well.

He sat back and ran a hand through his thinning hair, perplexed by what he'd discovered. He needed to get Lee back in for another MRI and more blood tests to confirm what he was seeing. Will decided to complete his review of the captain's MRI to determine if other organs had been effected and then take his findings to the admiral and Crane. He grimaced slightly at the imagined sound and fury that would occur when he tried to corral him back into Med Bay for additional tests and observation. "They don't pay me enough for this," Jamie whispered under his breath with a chuckle and turned back to reviewing Lee's lab work and scans.

(o1ooo

Having completed his phone call to his friend Marco, Harri had returned to his lab and was busily trying to determine if the behaviors of the super-sized box jellyfish were the same as its smaller cousin or had in some way mutated with its body. Curious as to whether the stinging trigger was the same across the species, he pulled a fish from the feeding bin for his lab specimens and brushed it softly against the tentacle. Based on what he observed, skin to skin physical contact initiated the injection of toxin. He next placed a thin membrane over the dead fish and once more brushed it against the tentacle, this time eliciting zero injections from the nematocysts.

"Interesting," he said aloud.

"What's interesting?" Lee responded, as he and Chip entered the lab.

"It appears that the jellyfish only injects its toxin when it's in direct contact with skin or flesh. Any type of barrier, regardless of the thickness, will prevent the stinging cells from detecting the chemicals found on skin, and not discharge. That holds true for the normal box jellyfish as well. At least prevention of a stinging assault should be relatively easy," Harri replied.

"That's great to hear," Lee said. "I can personally attest to how uncomfortable that is when it occurs. So, did you get in touch with your contact in Mexico, sir?"

"Yes. Dr. Lopez indicated that there have been at least six divers killed and numerous sea mammals and large fish that have washed ashore all showing signs of jellyfish attack. He also indicated there were a number of divers missing. He said that he was just about to call when I called him. Marco said the attacks have ranged over a 200-mile area which I think indicates more than one animal."

"Oh joy," Chip replied flatly, knowing their job just got that much more difficult.

"Agreed," Harri responded.

"So, what do we need to do now, sir?" Lee inquired.

"We need to finish up the analysis of the samples we've taken and run through the GC/MS. We need to see if there are high concentrations of known mutagens within the animal's flesh and toxin. The first batch of samples should be just about complete," Nelson answered. He walked over to the unit and downloaded those samples completed to his computer. He quickly typed in the commands to display the results.

"That doesn't look right," Lee remarked pointing to the extreme spikes in a number of the tested parameters.

"You're right, that isn't right, not for a normal jellyfish," Harri responded as he regarded the concentrated levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), benzene, bromine, chromium, cadmium, alkaloids, PCBs and pesticides. "This thing is a swimming toxic dump. I've never seen such high levels of these contaminants in any living organism, and most of them have been associated with mutagenic effects on living systems."

"I wonder if these things happened upon someone's illegal hazardous waste dumping operation somewhere off the coast of Mexico?" Lee asked.

"Seems like a logical assumption. This animal has to have been exposed to concentrated levels of these chemicals to have these elevated levels in its flesh. I'm guessing the addition of warmer ocean temperatures is also having an effect spurring on the excessive growth," Harri posited.

"Do you think this is just mutagenic to the current organism or do you think it may be rewriting its DNA and creating a new subspecies of these things?" Lee continued. "That's all we need is the aquatic version of killer bees living and thriving in the ocean environment."

"That's a very sobering and terrifying thought," Chip replied. "These things are difficult to spot naturally, now you add something a thousand times bigger out there trolling for shark-sized tidbits and we have a major problem that's only going to get bigger, no pun intended."

"So how prolific are these fish, sir? Does their breeding occur at specific times during the year? Do they reproduce sexually, asexually or some other way?" Lee asked, unfamiliar with biology of this species of jellyfish.

"As long as there is sufficient food in the water, the normal sea wasps can reproduce continuously. They spawn around the same time every day and it's triggered by the amount of light, usually at sunrise or dusk. Early stages start from fertilized eggs and then attach to the bottom of the ocean and reproduce by budding. Once they get large enough they detach and begin life as an adult jellyfish forming the medusa that we're all familiar with."

"Oh, that sounds just wonderful," Lee replied sarcastically. "So, if these things have genetically mutated and are reproducing at the same rate as their smaller counterparts they could rapidly spread all along the Pacific coast and even make the jump across the ocean to the Indian Ocean and other temperate waters. And being an apex predator, there is nothing but the lack of food to keep them in check. What is their lifespan normally, sir?"

Harri smiled slightly, proud of his officer's grasp of the issues and implications. "In the wild, where food supplies can be less than steady, jellyfish live from two to six months. I don't know if that will hold true with these. Hopefully their maturation process has slowed because of the amount of growth they must go through otherwise we could be awash in a sea of jellyfish until they've eaten it all. I wonder if there have been any other encounters elsewhere in the world or if this is currently limited to this geographic area? If they haven't spread yet, I think we have our mission identified."

All three men nodded in agreement. It would be incumbent on them and Seaview to locate the source of the monster jellyfish and hopefully neutralize the chemical dangers and eradicate the mutants that could possibly decimate all sea life along the warmer climes of the Pacific coast.

"I think we need to get moving sooner than later," Lee offered. "We need the information regarding the locations of the other attacks and then get any satellite imagery and bathymetric charts that could indicate where someone would be inclined to dump toxic waste. I'm assuming it won't be that far offshore, which will only serve to compound the problem of human/jellyfish encounters."

"Agreed," Harri replied. "Chip, get things kicked into high gear to shove off as soon as possible. Also, have Sparks get in touch with Bobby and Ski and get an update on their location. We may have them stop in San Diego and we pick them up on our way."

"Aye, sir. I'll get right on it."

Lee stared at Harri surprised that the order was given to Chip instead of him. Harri immediately noted the look of consternation on his face and gave him a quick smile. "You're on light duty, if you will recall Mr. Crane. I send you charging off getting things prepped for our departure and Jamieson will have my hide tacked to the side of a building somewhere on the grounds. Plus, you still owe him a night in Med Bay."

A sour scowl marred Lee's handsome face as he thought of another night being poked and prodded in Jamie's torture chamber. "But I feel fine. There've been no lingering after effects which would necessitate a night there," Lee almost whined.

"As I recall, you made a deal to get sprung and you will hold up your end of the bargain. Read me?"

Lee scowled again. "Yes sir," he replied grudgingly. Chip laughed as did Nelson at the response.

"I'll catch you later, Lee," Chip said as he headed for the door.

Following Chip's exit, Harri walked over to Lee and gently placed his hand on his shoulder. "It's only one night, Lee," he said, trying his best to console his son. "Why don't you hit the internet and then get in touch with our contacts around the warmer regions of the globe and see if they've encountered any run-ins with monster mutant jellyfish? I'll finish up reviewing our sample results and then we'll call it a night and go to the Penthouse for a drink before Will revokes your pass. How does that sound?"

"Works for me Harri," Lee answered, perking up slightly at the prospect of eluding Jamieson's grasp for even a couple of hours.

ooolo)

Will slowly sat upright and stretched out his back after hunching over his computer screen reviewing Lee's MRI results. He looked down at his watch and was surprised to find it nearly 2100. He rubbed his eyes and blew out a tired sigh. Thus far in his review, only Crane's liver had shown signs of change from either the Odejaian drug, the jellyfish toxin, or both. The cause of that change was the next item on his list of things to discover.

He reached over, picked up his phone and dialed the Nurse's Station to check on the status of his wayward patient. Hearing he had yet to return Will growled then thanked them. His next call was to Nelson's lab. The phone rang several times and switched to voice mail. He growled again then dialed Nelson's cell. This time he found success.

"Nelson."

"Harri, Will here. Is Lee with you?"

"Yes, he is Will, we were getting ready to have a nightcap before I delivered him into your clutches," Harri replied, as he winked at Lee. "Why don't you come to the Penthouse and join us, and save me a trip."

"That's the best offer I've had all day. I'll be there in ten minutes, do not let him escape," Will joked.

"You've got it. See you in ten." Harri hung up then dialed Chip's cell to extend the invitation to him as well.

"Morton."

"Chip, Nelson. We're up in the Penthouse about ready to have a nightcap, would you care to join us before you call it a night?"

"Sounds like a great idea, sir. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Harri ended his call and smiled at Lee. "That was easier than I thought. Seems everyone is ready to hang it up for the day. I'm sure they're as strung out as we are."

"I can't argue with you there, Harri," Lee said as he stood and walked to the bar. He pulled out four glasses then picked up the bottle of the family label and showed it to Harri asking if that's what he wanted to serve. Nelson nodded and watched as Lee started to pour. After a moment, a huge smile spread across Lee's face as he finished filling the glasses.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing really," Lee replied, still smiling. "It's just that the _family label_ has taken on a whole new meaning to me all of a sudden."

Harri burst out laughing and nodded in agreement. "That it has, lad. I couldn't be more thrilled about that addition to the family." He rose and walked to the bar to collect his glass. "To the Family," he said, raising his glass.

"To the Family," Lee responded as he touched his glass to Harri's and they both drank. They stood there from a minute smiling and staring at each other. The moment was broken by a knock on the door and a call from Chip.

"Admiral, you here?"

"Come on in Chip and leave the door open, Jamie should be here shortly."

"He already is," Jamieson replied as he followed Chip in and shut the door.

"Starting without us? Oh, that's bad form," Chip joked as he walked to the bar to collect his glass. Will nodded in agreement and picked up his glass as well and took a hearty sip.

"So, any more developments today?" Harri asked after Chip and Jamie and taken a drink.

Will nodded. "I've got a big one. In reviewing the images of Lee's liver, it looks like the organ is now sporting a fifth lobe. I pulled imagery taken after he had returned from Odeja and compared that with what we took this morning. The growth has taken place in the intervening time. I can't positively say when the lobe was added, but odds are that's one of the reasons Lee was able to survive the jellyfish toxin." The other three men looked stunned at Jamieson's revelation.

"You're sure of that? It's not a tumor or anything?" Harri asked.

"I'm pretty sure it's a modification to the liver. It is fully integrated into the organ and has established its own network of connections to the various blood vessels and arteries to filter and process contaminants out of the blood stream. Of course, the only way to know for sure is to take a tissue sample and conduct a biopsy to determine the true nature of the growth."

"What makes you think it's an addition to the liver instead of a tumorous growth?" Lee asked quietly.

"It's appearance in the MRI. The lobe is smooth and identical in texture and appearance with the rest of the organ. I'm guessing that addition to your system enabled your body to filter and flush out the toxins from the jellyfish sting. It looks to be an enhancement to the organ as opposed to a malignant growth," Jamie answered.

"You said part of the reason for his survival," Nelson interjected. "What's the other part of the equation?"

"His body was able to generate antibodies to isolate and destroy the invading toxins. Once I got your nematocyst samples to my lab and extracted the venom, I mixed it with some of the blood I had collected from Lee when we first arrived on the boat. I observed the reaction under the electron microscope and the white cells immediately went to work attacking the antigen. It looks as though Lee really has developed an adaptive immune response to jellyfish venom. He now carries Memory B and Memory T cells that will attack and neutralize the venom when it is introduced into his system. Whether this will continue or eventually dissipate, that remains to be seen," Will explained.

"So, what do you recommend as a next step, Will?" Lee asked.

"I want to take a biopsy of the new tissue and get a better look at it. That will also allow us to rule out any type of tumor," Will replied and then watched Lee's face begin to cloud. "Before you get all bent out of shape, it's a minor procedure that will keep you in bed for one more day and then released to light duty barring any complications," he finished hurriedly.

"What's all involved?" Lee inquired.

"It's an outpatient procedure. I think a percutaneous biopsy would be the easiest. I'd make a small incision at the base of your rib cage, insert a needle and collect some tissue and that's it. You wouldn't even have to be sedated, I can use a local at the site of the incision. You can even go home or stay with someone if you wish after the procedure. You will most likely be sore at the site of the incision and will have a lifting limit of no more than 15 pounds for a week."

Lee inhaled deeply and blew out a gust of air as he considered what Will wanted to do. "I'm going home after the procedure," he stated, then took a deep swig of his drink.

It was Will's turn to be stunned as he had prepped himself for a much more protracted battle to gain the captain's participation. "Wow, that was easy. Thank you, Lee. I'll have everything set up so we can do the procedure first thing in the morning, then you can go home a couple of hours later if all goes as planned."

Knowing Will and probably Harri and Chip were equally surprised by his rapid capitulation, based on their expressions, Lee offered the desired reason. "I want to know what's going on too, Jamie. Plus, I also know I would be badgered and blackmailed into doing this regardless of my wishes, so I've decided to cut to the chase and be done with it," Lee replied honestly.

"Well that's settled. Any other status reports?" Harri inquired.

"Seaview will be ready to sail in two days, sir. The crew has been alerted and everyone has indicated they are ready to deploy. Work on FS-1 is continuing and nearly completed. The suspect wire is being removed and we are rewiring the engine with new wire from our usual supplier. We contacted WWW Wire about the spool we had problems with and they apologized profusely, refunded our money and have offered to pay for any damage their product may have caused. The president of the company indicated that they had to temporarily switch suppliers and the materials they provided have started to come back as out of spec," Chip relayed.

"That's good to hear. How about you, Lee, any other incidents of mutant jellyfish elsewhere in the world?"

"It looks like this is an isolated incidence, at least for the moment. Of those I contacted in Australia, the Philippines, Hawaii, and other areas with box jellyfish, they've reported no anomalous growth in their local species. I think your supposition that wayward hitchhikers fell into a hazardous waste dump is probably spot on. I need to get in touch with the Mexican Navy and find out if they've had any issues with illegal dumping in the areas of attack. I'll also contact ONI and review satellite imagery to see if there is a pattern in vessel traffic to potential dump sites in the general area."

"Well that's a plus, so if this thing is breeding, it hasn't passed beyond the Mexican waters, yet," Harri responded. "As for me, I finished up my examination of our samples and there haven't been any new surprises. The animal's body is saturated with chemical toxins of almost every kind. It's amazing the thing is even alive."

"Oh Admiral, I forgot to mention that O'Brien and Kowalski should be in San Diego day after tomorrow. I've already reserved a slip for them at the marina at NAS North Island and told them to remain there until we picked them up on the way down," Chip interjected.

"Good thinking, Chip," Lee answered. "Did they say how she was sailing?"

"Like a dream," Chip answered with a chuckle. "It sounded like they were having a blast."

Lee smiled and nodded. "That's great to hear. Somebody should be enjoying her."

"Once we finish this up, we'll finish our trip," Harri interjected and clapped Lee on the back. "Everyone drink up, so we can hit the sack, finish up our work, and be ready to sail in two days."

They all nodded, polished off their drinks and bid each other a good night. Chip headed out to his car and home, while Jamie walked Lee back to Med Bay and made sure he was tucked in for the night. He then scheduled the biopsy for 0700 and made his way to his car and home.

(o1ooo


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

At 0600 Lee was awakened by the entrance of Jamie and two nurses. He stared at them bleary-eyed for a moment as he woke up.

"Good to see you're sleeping late for a change," Jamie said, as he grabbed the chart out of the holder and reviewed the most current information.

"Not intentionally," Lee replied. "I had a tough time sleeping last night. I kept having dreams about being attacked by the jellyfish or waking up in the Odejaian torture chamber. Pretty sure the pain of my last encounter was responsible for stirring all that back up."

Jamie nodded in agreement as he completed his cursory exam of Lee. "I'm sure that's probably true. So how are you feeling? Would you prefer I sedate you for the procedure?"

"I'm feeling fine, Jamie, just a bit tired. Thank you but no, I don't want to be knocked out, I fully intend to go home as soon as I can."

"Okay, your call. Jean and Allan will be prepping you for the procedure and we should be ready to go ahead as planned. Just relax and take it easy. I'll see you in a few minutes in the OR."

The two nurses quickly prepared Lee for the procedure then wheeled him down to the OR. Once there Jamie entered then reviewed the latest readings and finding them perfect, as usual, he turned to regard Lee.

"You ready, Skipper?"

Lee nodded. "Yes, let's get this over with."

"Okay, I'm going to administer a local so you shouldn't feel a thing. Once we get started, you're going to need to remain perfectly still," Will instructed, then injected the pain killer. He picked up the ultrasound probe and began imaging Lee's liver so he could locate the exact spot he needed to hit. He tapped on Lee's chest where he intended to make the incision. "Do you feel that?"

Lee shook his head. "Nope."

"Good. All right here we go. As I said you need to remain completely still while I'm inserting the needle. Just before I take the sample I'll ask you to hold your breath. Any questions before we get busy?"

"Nope."

Will quickly made the small incision then inserted the biopsy needle and carefully edged it up into Lee's chest, all the while watching its progress on the ultrasound screen. After a few minutes, he had reached his target. "Okay Lee hold your breath." As Lee halted his breathing Will deftly inserted the needle and grabbed his sample. "You can breathe now," he said as he began retracting the needle.

As he pulled it out, he felt Lee flinch slightly. He stopped and looked curiously at his patient. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes. It's not overly painful but it just took me by surprise," Lee replied.

"You shouldn't be feeling anything, I gave you enough medication to keep you numb for the next three hours," Will responded, his forehead furrowed in concern. Lee's penchant for throwing off sedation and pain killers was a problem, but he had compensated for his higher tolerance, there was no way he should be feeling anything.

"I'm sorry for the discomfort, Lee. Just hold on a second and I'll have the probe removed." He gently pulled the needle out and passed it to one of the nurses to take to the lab. "Okay, you can relax now. I'll give you a booster on the numbing med and throw in a couple of stitches so you don't leak all over."

"I'm fine, Jamie, don't worry about it. Just stitch away."

"Humor me, please. It won't be much, just enough to take the edge off," he answered as he picked up the needle and injected the drug next to the incision.

Lee just rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes, Doctor."

Jamie deftly applied two stitches and then placed a small bandage over the area. "All done, Lee. Allan will take you back to your room, where you will remain in bed for the next two hours. After that, I'll take a look at you, and if all is well you will be free to leave. The admiral said he'll be by to pick you up and deposit you at home."

"Thanks Jamie. Don't worry, I'll be good," Lee said and flashed an angelic smile.

"Yeah, like that's possible," Jamie replied laughing. "And don't waste that on me, I'm immune."

Lee laughed as well. "So how long before you know anything?"

"It will take a couple of days to conduct all the tests and review the results. I'll let you know as soon as I know what we've found."

"Okay. Well I'm ready to go to my room now, wheel me away," Lee answered.

ooolo)

Lee sighed in frustration as he stared at the clock on the wall. He was almost to the point of accusing Jamie of putting in old batteries, the hands on the face seemed to move so slowly. He had been checked on numerous times by the nursing staff to ensure that there had been no complications from the procedure. He was more than ready to be done with the poking and prodding and be on his way home.

As he shifted in bed trying to find a more comfortable position, the door swung open and Jamieson and Nelson entered. Lee smiled in hopes that his release was at hand.

"How are you feeling, Lee?" Jamie asked, as he collected the chart and scanned through the readings.

"I feel fine, Jamie. Can I get out of here now?"

Harri laughed quietly at the all too predictable response while Jamie just scowled at his impatient patient. "We'll see. By the looks of your vitals, you haven't had any complications from the procedure. Let me take a look at the incision and get in some gratuitous pokes and prods," he replied. Lee returned his scowl then laid back so Jamie could check him out.

Jamieson quickly took Lee's pulse, listened to his heart and lungs, then peeled back the bandage and regarded the incision. It looked fine with no signs of undue redness or swelling. He prodded gently around it closely watching for signs of any discomfort on his patient's face. There wasn't even the slightest hint of a flinch, so there was either no pain or Lee was hiding it extremely well to gain his release. He replaced the bandage and then picked up the chart and made some annotations.

"Well?" Lee inquired.

"Yes, you're just fine," Jamie responded with a hint of exasperation. "Okay, you may go home, but I want you to go home and rest. No wandering around, no activities other than reading, sleeping, or watching TV, and of course an occasional meal. And especially no lifting anything more than 10 to 15 pounds, got it? You need to remain quiet so everything has a chance to heal."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've got it. Now may I get up, get dressed and get out of here?"

"Yes, but move slowly."

"Gotcha," Lee replied as he sat up and eased himself off the bed, grabbed his clothes from the wardrobe and headed into the bathroom to change.

"I take it no surprises, Will?" Nelson inquired after Lee had left.

"No, he came through the procedure well. I half expected to find the incision completely healed after his little trick with the jellyfish, but everything is as it should be," Jamieson responded, then looked down at Lee's chart and frowned for a second.

"But…" Nelson prodded.

"Nothing really. Well, I was just concerned at how quickly he metabolized and threw off the local anesthetic. His system is weird in the first place in how it handles sedation and pain meds, and I gave him a Crane sized shot to compensate. For the rest of us that would put us all in a stupor for several hours. This time he threw off the effects even before the procedure was complete and it wasn't a long procedure. I had to give him another shot and best as I can tell he's shaken that one off as well."

"Do you think it has something to do with the growth on his liver or a residual effect from the Odejaian drug?" Harri inquired.

"Either or both, I just don't know. Hopefully the biopsy results will provide a clue."

"When will you get those back?"

"I should have preliminary results within a day. I'll take a look at those and may send the sample out for a review by specialists if I see anything startling," Will answered.

"You aren't releasing my name, are you?" Lee asked as he stepped out of the bathroom having heard the end of their conversation.

"Why?" Harri asked, surprised by the question.

"It goes back to not wanting to end up as a captive specimen kept around for experiments and observation. I want my privacy intact. If this mutation doesn't present a threat to the general populace I don't see a need for you to reveal what has happened to me," Lee answered emphatically. "Also, being Navy property as I am, I won't have them locking me away to try and develop an agent to induce growth in others, or try to make a super sailor. Any of this gets out and I will be gone."

"Of course, Lee. I will fully maintain doctor-patient confidentiality," Jamieson answered, he too surprised at Lee's response.

Lee nodded accepting Jamie's assurance that his privacy would be protected. "So, can I go now?"

"Yes, you may go," Jamie replied as he fished in his lab coat pocket and pulled out a bottle. "Here are some mild pain killers should you experience any discomfort. And don't sneer at me, use them if you feel any pain, they will help you relax and heal faster."

Harri laughed and extended his hand to accept the bottle. "I'll see to it he gets just what he needs." Lee stared at Harri somewhat confused. "Oh, didn't I tell you, you've got a house guest for the next day or so. I'm going to make damn sure you rest so you're ready to sail with us in two days."

Lee dropped his head and sighed in total resignation, eliciting a chuckle from the other two men. "Not that I don't appreciate the company, sir, but I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

"That is exactly what I'm there to prevent," Harri replied and patted him on the back. "Come on, grab your stuff, your taxi is leaving." As if on cue, the door to the room swung open and a nurse pushing a wheelchair entered.

Lee's face immediately began to cloud as he prepared to erupt. "It's in the chair or in the bed, your choice," Will said quickly defusing the storm. Lee shot out a disgusted snort and none to graciously plopped down in the seat. "Good boy, you're learning."

(o1ooo

The drive to Lee's place occurred pretty much in silence. Aside from the occasional questions from Lee about Chip and how the repairs to FS-1 were coming, both men were lost in their own thoughts. Once they arrived, Harri climbed out and grabbed Lee's bag, while Lee walked up to the door and opened it. Upon entering he took in a huge cleansing breath and slowly released it, thrilled to be back in his domain.

Harri placed the bag at the bottom of the stairs as he watched Lee walk across the living room and pull open the sliding glass door to the deck. "Happy to be home, son?"

"Yes, more than you can imagine," Lee replied. He stepped out onto the deck and carefully stretched as the tension from being in Med Bay fled his body.

"Why don't you grab a seat and I'll get us some ice tea and we can enjoy the sun?"

"Sounds like a plan, thanks Harri." Lee said as he carefully pulled the deck chairs into the sun and then claimed one.

Harri came out a few minutes later with two glasses and a pitcher of iced tea. He poured them each a glass then set the pitcher on the small table between the chairs and sat down. He took a big drink as he contemplated the waves for a moment.

"You really are that concerned that someone will come along and lock you away, aren't you?" Harri asked seriously.

Lee looked at him for a moment considering his response. "Yes, I am. Because for all intents and purposes I am government property, I have no doubt in my mind that if it became known that I had certain enhanced capabilities to heal, or handle poisons, or to do god knows what, that I would disappear in some secret government research facility never to see the light of day again."

"Don't you think you're being a little paranoid?" Harri responded with a chuckle.

"No, and I would think you'd fear the same thing as well. The minute we signed the form and took the oath joining the Navy, we were informed that we were there to protect and defend the Constitution and the personal freedoms that ensures, but we were not there to practice them. Harri given the number of things we've been through and the number of times our genetic code has been scrambled and mutated, if that truly came to light, the entire crew would be locked up, cut into thin slices, and splayed out on microscope slides in any number of secret government labs," Lee answered.

Harri stared at Lee stunned at his response but even more stunned at the degree of trust he was showing him. In all his interactions with the boy and man, he'd always come away with the feeling that in instances other than the safety of his boat and crew, Lee never truly revealed what he felt deep down. There was always some part that he kept to himself, as though afraid revealing that last part would ruin whatever relationship he had with the person or steal away his control. If he really wanted his honest opinion on a personal matter he had to dig, pry, and pressure him to get past his considerable inner ramparts.

It also had never really occurred to him that what he feared could happen, but he clearly admitted it wouldn't take much for them to be declared military or state secrets and sequestered for the _good_ of the country. He had to admit Lee had a valid point given the transformations they'd all been put through.

"Are you really that cynical?" Harri asked quietly.

"I'm not a cynic, I'm a realist," Lee stated in all sincerity. "Harri, like you, I've dedicated my life to serving and protecting this nation I love and at times in some very unsavory ways. We both know to what extent some of the less than ethical leaders would go to secure what they want, and our freedom or liberties wouldn't even be a blip on their sonar. I'm not the same man I was when I joined Seaview, and neither are you. Given all that I've gone through, there have been lasting changes that have altered my innate abilities," Lee said, then looked out to sea and sipped on his tea.

"I think the one transformation that scared me most was when Chip and I were turned into the panther and wolf hybrids by Bascomb. 4 Our genetic code was completely rewritten and then written again in the transformation back. I've never told anyone Harri, but I have residual abilities like enhanced hearing, night vision, sense of smell, and to some degree strength from that encounter. I have no doubt Chip has retained some of his feline abilities, but neither of us has been willing to reveal that. I'm sure those enhanced senses have in part been responsible for my survival on some of my more hazardous ONI assignments, but I would never want any of the other agents to go through Bascomb's process to gain them. No one should and thankfully you eliminated the records and the equipment so no one will again."

Nelson looked shocked at Lee's admission. Before he could speak, Lee continued. "What did you gain from your transformation into the werewolf?" Harri remained quiet caught off guard by the question. "I thought so, hearing, vision…temper?" Lee said and laughed trying to lighten the moment.

Harri scowled at him then nodded, affirming Lee's supposition. "Now that you mention it, I did seem to gain better vision and sense of smell."

"I can just see some unethical bureaucrat or politician finding this out and then wondering if it could be replicated in others to their advantage. Given the moral or more appropriately lack of moral compass for some of our elected and appointed leaders, the abridgement of freedoms and personal liberties is only a matter of time. I know you've long recognized that. Can you honestly tell me that every invention you've discovered has seen the light of day, knowing how it could be used to destroy instead of benefit mankind?"

After a moment, Harri shook his head no. He then stared intensely at his captain and son. "I don't think I've ever heard you speak in such a forthright manner before Lee. I mean on issues other than the safety of the boat and crew. What's happened to bring this up?" Harri asked, genuinely lost for a reason.

"You, Harri. Yesterday you took an action I never in my wildest dreams expected to occur. Not because I doubted how you felt, but just because we never seemed able to close the loop. You demonstrated an incredible degree of faith and trust in me beyond what anyone has ever done aside from maybe Chip. That kind of trust must be met with the same degree on my part. I've always been leery about truly expressing my personal opinions or fears because in the past when I did they always managed to come back and bite me," Lee explained. "I've had a lot of time to think in the last month or so, and have come to the realization it's time to dispense with the fears and uncertainties of my past and move forward. You've given more than I ever could have imagined, and there's no one I trust more than you."

Harri blushed a bit and smiled at Lee's revelation. He reached across the table and patted him fondly on the shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Thank you, Lee for trusting me. I know that's not something you truly give easily," Harri responded.

Lee shrugged. "It should have been given much sooner, my apologies sir. So, what do you think Jamie's tests will reveal?"

"I have no idea, and I don't think Will does either. Given our current discussion, what happened to you is probably a combination of the various transformations you've endured. There's probably no knowing what odd bits of altered genetic code are involved and odds are the results could never be replicated in another human being because you have become so unique," Harri replied and then chuckled.

"Yeah, I just love being a You-nee-Que." Lee laughed as well. "How goes your research on our mutant Mexican friend?"

"There haven't been any startling discoveries beyond what we've already found. We need to get down there, find the source of the contaminants, and find out if these things are just mutating because of exposure to the chemicals or have been genetically altered by that toxic soup and are now producing offspring with these aberrant characteristics. Marco sent the locations of the known attacks and dead sea life that have washed ashore, and we were right in the middle of the zone," Harri answered. "Have you come up with anything from your research of vessel traffic in the area or heard back from the Mexican Navy on offshore dumping?"

"Not yet, but I haven't really had an opportunity to check since I was corralled in Jamie's torture chamber last night," Lee replied with a wink. "I think that a review of computer records should be sedate enough to meet Jamie's limited exertion criteria, don't you?"

"For a limited amount of time," Harri responded with a chuckle. "You do need to rest up and let everything heal so you're ready to go day after tomorrow."

"Yes, Dad." Lee replied like an exasperated teenager, then rolled his eyes. "So, I'm getting a little hungry, are you up for some lunch before we get on with our research?"

Harri nodded in agreement. "You want to make something or have food delivered?"

"Oh, I think delivered is about the only option we have. I haven't had much opportunity to stock the larder or buy fresh food between my stays in Med Bay and our trip. Is Chinese okay?" Harri nodded. "Great, I'll place the order and it should be here in about 30 minutes."

4 - Basic Instinct

ooolo)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"How are you coming in there, Riley?" Sharkey asked, as he regarded the young ratings legs extending out from under one of the access panels in FS-1.

"Just about done, Chief. Man, it never ceases to amaze me how much wire they shove into these tight little spaces."

"Just make sure you replace it all," Sharkey responded. "Even the stuff on the normal engine controls was showing signs of breaking down. We don't need any problems when we get down to Mexico and go looking for that thing that attacked the Skipper."

As Riley was about to pull the final length of wire for replacement there was the sound of a horrific crash followed by a scream of someone in extreme pain. Sharkey bolted out of the little sub followed quickly by Riley as they raced up the dock to the site of the disturbance. In the course of loading supplies onto Seaview, a sling strap failed dumping a pallet and several large boxes onto the dock below. Unfortunately, Parker who had been standing by to help move the next pallet for loading, had been hit as part of the load tumbled off the pallet, and was pinned to the deck.

Being a backup medic, Riley rushed to Parker's side and began administering first aid as the other ratings carefully removed the containers from the injured man. He had been relatively lucky receiving some minor cuts and a broken tibia on his right leg. Sharkey immediately notified Med Bay of the incident and got an ambulance on its way, then called the XO.

Chip rushed up on deck when he received word of the accident and quickly arrived at the site. "What happened, Chief?" he asked as he surveyed the scene.

"One of the sling straps failed and dumped that pallet of stuff onto the deck. Parker there got caught when the stuff scattered and flew across the deck. Riley's working on him right now. He said it looks like the worst of it is a broken leg. Med Bay's got an ambulance on the way," Sharkey quickly reported.

"Damn," Chip swore softly. "I thought we just had all our slings tested. Before anything else is loaded, check out each sling to make sure it's sound. Also, increase the size of the clear zone around loading operations so we don't have a repeat of this."

"Yes, sir," Sharkey acknowledged. "I'll see to it once we get this cleaned up and before we start ops again."

Chip nodded then walked over and knelt down by Parker. "How you doing, Parker?"

"I'm okay, Mr. Morton. My leg hurts like a son of a buck, but I feel lucky not to be hurt worse."

"Lay back and relax, the Med Bay team is on their way. Plus, it looks like Riley is taking good care of you."

Parker nodded and gave him a weak smile. "Yes, sir. Guess I won't be making the trip down to Mexico this time. Sorry, sir."

"Don't worry about it, there will be other trips," Chip replied. He looked up and spotted the ambulance backing up to the dock and the medics jumping out and gathering their equipment. "Looks like your ride is here. Riley, accompany Parker here up to Med Bay, then report back to me with a status on his condition."

Riley nodded. "Yes, sir. I shouldn't be gone too long."

"Take what time you need," Chip answered. "What were you working on?"

"I was finishing up work on FS-1."

"Okay, I'll have Sharkey get someone else on it."

Riley nodded then assisted the EMT's with their tasks. The medics quickly loaded Parker on the stretcher and whisked him away to Med Bay to get the treatment he needed. As they and Riley departed, Chip regarded the cleanup operations for a moment then headed over to Sharkey.

"Chief, get someone to finish up for Riley, he's heading over to Med Bay with Parker. He'll be back as soon as Doc gives him a status report on his condition."

"Right away, sir," Sharkey replied. He then held up the end of the defective sling showing Morton where it had failed. "I don't know how this one missed the last round of inspections. I need to go back through the records and find out and make sure it don't happen again. Rod has pulled one that I personally inspected last week, so there won't be any more problems."

"Good deal, carry on Chief," Chip responded, then turned and headed back onto Seaview.

As he left, Sharkey called over to one of the ratings on clean up duty. "Grayson, head over to FS-1 and finish up for Riley. He said he was about done with the rewiring on the engines. Once you get that done run a full set of diagnostics on the engines and if it's good button her up and police up the area."

"I'm on it, Chief." Grayson walked quickly to FS-1 and conducted a quick inspection of Riley's work. As he looked it over he couldn't see where additional work was required so he hooked up the sensors and initiated the diagnostics. After running through its sequences, everything came back green so he closed up the control panels, then tidied up the inside of FS-1 and reported back to Sharkey.

"She's good to go, Chief," Grayson relayed. "Diagnostics came back green and everything is neat as a pin. Only thing she needs now is a test flight."

"Fine. Go ahead and take off for lunch. Once you get back, assist with the loading team on Seaview." Grayson acknowledged the orders and headed off for lunch.

As Parker left, Riley was just returning from Med Bay. "Hey Chief, I'm back," he called out.

"Hey Riley, how's Parker doing?"

"Not too bad all things considered. Doc said he fractured his tibia, so he'll be in a cast for a while and he got a few stitches for the cuts and a nifty tetanus shot to top it off."

"Good to know he ain't hurt too bad. Head on over to Seaview and let Mr. Morton know right away," Sharkey replied.

"Sure enough, then I'll get back on FS-1."

"No need, Grayson finished up what you were doing and ran the diagnostics on the skipper's baby. She's all buttoned up and ready to go."

"Cool. So, what you want me to do after I talk to Mr. Morton?"

"Go take your lunch and then get with Rod and double check everything in the control room."

"Gotcha Chief," Riley replied and headed off to find the XO and give him the status report he'd requested.

(o1ooo

Will sat staring through his microscope evaluating the sample tissue taken from Lee's liver. There were minute structural differences between the sample and normal liver samples he had examined before. As best he could tell, the new addition to the organ was not impacting normal liver function, but instead enhancing it. He guessed that it was what was responsible for cleansing Lee's blood of the jellyfish toxin so rapidly along with metabolizing and neutralizing the analgesic he'd given Lee for the procedure. How he healed so quickly was hidden somewhere else in his body.

He really wanted a second opinion on the growth, but was hesitant to send it out to a colleague for fear it would be traced back to someone at NIMR. He finally decided to contact an old friend and have him take a look, but would tell him he was evaluating the tissue for another colleague. Hopefully that would prove enough of a smoke screen to hide the source of the sample.

He picked up his phone and dialed the number. After a couple of rings, it was answered.

"McGraw."

"Evan? Will Jamieson here. How are you doing?"

"Will?! Great to hear from you. How long has it been, three…no four years since that medical conference in Bern? Oh, my god, I still don't think I've recovered from that," McGraw replied with an embarrassed laughed. "I'm doing well, how about yourself, still working for Nelson at NIMR or did you go back to the Navy?"

"I'm doing well, keeping busy and still with NIMR."

"So, what is it I can do for you? I'm sure you didn't call to recount our misspent youth," Evan inquired.

"I need a second opinion from you. I got a sample of liver tissue from a colleague in Mexico and I'm seeing things I've not encountered before. I was wondering if you would have time to take a look at what he sent and give me your interpretation and recommendation so I can pass that on as well," Will answered.

"Sure, no problem. Can you send me a sample or do you want to just send images?"

"I can send you the rest of my sample. There may be tests I'm not aware of so it will save some time if you think it will require additional work."

"Great. Shoot it out to me and I'll get on it as soon as it arrives. How soon do you need a reading?"

"Sooner is better than later, but I don't think the patient will expire in the next few days if you get tied up on something else," Will responded.

"I'm kind of slow right now, so I should be able to get on it right away. If you send it next day air, I could probably have something back to you by say Friday. How does that work for you?"

"That would be great. I'll get it in the mail today, along with the test results I got with the sample. I really appreciate it, Evan."

"Well if you're seeing things you've never seen before, you have my rapt attention," McGraw replied. "Hey Will, I'm being paged. I'll give you a call as soon as I find anything."

"I don't know if I'll be able to get a phone call. We're heading out Wednesday on a research mission down south. If you could email your findings, I would appreciate it, and then I can pass everything on to my friend," Will said.

"Sure thing. Have a good trip and be talking with you soon. Bye."

Will ended the call, sat back and let loose a deep sigh. That went easier than he expected and he had kept Lee completely anonymous. He next set to collecting up his lab results and made copies for McGraw, making very sure there was no hint of to whom the sample belonged. He then got a sample of the biopsy and prepared it for shipping, and called Jean to contact the shipping company to pick the package up and get to its destination by tomorrow around noon.

ooolo)

After nearly three hours poring over the files and data received in his research request, Lee sat back and stretched out his back. He inhaled deeply and blew out a huge breath feeling the tension in his neck begin to dissipate.

Harri chuckled from the chair on the other side of the room as he basically completed the same moves as Lee. "Tired?" he asked, as he folded his arms behind his head and twisted gently from side to side working out the kinks in his spine.

Lee rubbed his eyes then smiled. "Yep, I think I've found all I'm going to from the surveillance footage ONI sent over and from what came in from the Mexican Navy. I've identified six possible sites of illegal dumping activities within the attack area, so at least we have a place to start. How about you?"

"I have a sneaking suspicion these things are breeding so our problem is probably a whole lot bigger than we thought," Harri replied.

Lee grimaced at the thought of that thing that attacked him multiplying unchecked until it outstripped its food supply. "So, if we confirm that, how do we control it?"

"One gigantic problem at a time please," Harri joked. "I haven't figured that one out yet. The last thing we want to do is further screw with an ecosystem out of whack. You find yourself with even a larger problem than the first, introducing yet another invasive species that winds up needing to be controlled. We need to confirm the first bit then move on."

Lee nodded in agreement and was about to reply when the phone rang. "Crane…Hi Chip, how goes it? When? … How badly injured was he? … That's good to hear. So, are we still on for a departure on Wednesday?... Good why don't you come on over and we can talk things through. … Okay, see you in a couple of hours, bye."

"What happened? Who was injured?" Harri inquired anxiously.

"While they were loading supplies, a sling failed and dropped a pallet and all its contents onto the dock. Parker was a little too close and got caught as the materials scattered. He has a broken tibia and few cuts and scrapes. Chip indicated that he will be fine and that after a quick safety stand down, and modification of loading procedures, they completed loading the boat and we are ready to sail at any time." Lee relayed. "Chip will stop by after work and go over all the gory details with us, so to speak."

"It's good to hear Parker wasn't injured any more severely than he was. How did it happen?"

"Chip indicated that the sling that failed had somehow been missed in the last round of inspections. Again, new procedures are already in place to ensure that doesn't happen again."

Harri nodded appreciating the seriousness of the incident and the equally serious response in making sure it didn't happen again. "Well I supposed we'll just cool our heels until Chip arrives. And by that, I mean we return to the deck and you relax as ordered by your physician."

Lee wrinkled his nose at the thought of breaking off, but didn't want to jeopardize his ability to go with the boat. He powered down his computer and pushed up cautiously from his chair, prepared to follow Harri downstairs.

"Sore?" Harri asked, noticing the way Lee got up.

"No not at all, but I'm not taking any chances on pulling or ripping Jamie's sutures, lest he put me in dry dock just to prove his point," Lee replied with a chuckle. "I actually feel very good, as if it were actually just a normal day without having Jamie scrambling about in my innards."

Nelson nodded and laughed. He headed out the door and down the stairs to the kitchen. "Think you're up to a beer?" he called out as he looked inside the fridge.

"Definitely. If the change to my liver is what's causing the rapid dissipation of medications as Jamie suspects, then I'm free and clear by now," Lee answered as he headed back out to the deck.

"I think you would be anyway, since you haven't taken any of Jamie's pills," Harri replied, as he handed Lee a beer and then sat down beside him.

"I don't trust Jamie and his 'pain' pills," Lee answered with a chuckle. "He has a nasty habit of not fully disclosing what's in those things and more times than not find myself down for the count."

Harri laughed. "Well he has to employ what weapons he has at hand to get you to do what is in your best interest."

"Yeah, well maybe. But I still think its dirty pool," Lee conceded, then sat back in his chair and sipped on his beer enjoying both the company and the view.

About two hours later, Lee sat up and smiled. "Chip's here," he announced, nonchalantly. Harri looked at him quizzically. He hadn't heard the car drive up or the doorbell. "He just entered the driveway and is pulling up now."

"How do you know that?" Harri asked, wondering how Lee knew.

"I heard his car coming down the road and then turn into the driveway, it has a very distinctive sound." Lee replied, then winked and smiled. "Great, he brought pizza too. Pepperoni, sausage, mushroom…, Canadian bacon, and olives." Lee tapped his ears and nose, letting Harri know exactly how he knew his friend had arrived.

"That's amazing," Harri responded, rather dumbfounded at Lee's demonstration of his enhanced senses. "I more fully understand your concern now, lad, and your secret is safe with me."

A minute or so later, Chip walked around to the back of Lee's house carrying a pizza and a six pack of beer. "Hey, Chip," Lee called out, welcoming him.

"Hey Lee, Admiral. Good to see you aren't working **too** hard," Chip replied as he spotted them sitting on the deck each with a beer in hand. "Figured you probably hadn't had a chance to get any real food, so I brought dinner."

"What did you get?" Harri asked, anxious to find out if Lee's assessment of the meal was correct.

"Pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, mushrooms, olives and extra cheese," Chip answered as he placed the box on the table.

Lee shrugged. "Cheese and extra cheese are the same," he offered with a smile. Harri shook his head in amazement. "Chip usually gets a kitchen sink pizza, he went light today," Lee explained.

Chip stared at them wondering what that was all about. "Yeah, I wasn't sure if you were into that many ingredients, sir. What's going on?"

Lee and Harri exchanged looks then Lee sighed as he regarded his friend. "I was just demonstrating to Harri the abilities I gained after going through Bascomb's torture chamber. Since that escapade, I can hear, see, and smell better than before. Did you get any enhancements as well, Chip?" Lee asked.

Chip's eyes narrowed as he regarded Lee closely. He had suspected Lee had been 'enhanced' just as he had but neither of them had revealed that fact. His reasons for keeping that information secret were identical to Lee's. He was surprised that he would broach the subject now, in front of the admiral. After a moment, he nodded slowly.

"Hearing and vision, mostly. I think I have a better sense of balance as well, but I don't really think there's a way to quantify that," Chip offered cautiously. "What's brought this up?"

Lee succinctly relayed the discussions relating to his ordeal on Odeja and the injection of the wonder drug, his run-in with the jellyfish and his subsequent miraculous recovery, his liver biopsy potential results, and his desire to not reveal any changes in abilities or DNA to anyone outside their tight group. Also, Harri's admission to having improved vision and sense of smell, although not quite on par with Lee's, he added with a wink. Chip nodded his understanding and full agreement with Lee's position.

"I always wondered if you took anything away from Bascomb's experiment. I suspected you had gained additional abilities, but I didn't really want to know, because I'd have to reveal what I got, and if you hadn't picked anything up then I would have been the sole freak," Chip stated after a moment of silence. "So, I guess we're all members of this very exclusive club. I suppose there's some solace in that."

"At the very least a shared concern and deep understanding; that's quite a bit of solace if you ask me," Harri replied. "Well, I don't think we really need speak of this again, and definitely not commit it to paper anywhere." Both Lee and Chip nodded in full agreement.

"So, what happened on the boat?" Lee asked, anxious for a status report.

Chip quickly detailed the events and the steps they had taken to ensure it didn't happen again. He said Parker had already been released and would be off for a week, then back on limited duty until the cast came off. FS-1 was repaired and just needed and shake down run to have her fully certified, and Bobby and Ski would be in San Diego late tomorrow evening and would stay there and be transported out to the boat so they didn't delay the mission waiting for them to return to Santa Barbara.

"I'm glad he wasn't seriously injured," Harri responded. "I have some equipment I'll need brought down from my lab and loaded aboard, and Will may have some as well to continue his research. I'll have that list for you by 0900."

Chip nodded and then grabbed a beer, cracked it open and took a big swig. "The only thing left for prep, is taking FS-1 out for a shakedown flight and check out the replaced wiring. That will take about four hours if all goes well. You want to do the honors on that Lee?"

"I doubt Jamie will give me the go ahead just yet. Much as I'd love to, you and someone else will get that little bit of heaven," Lee answered, somewhat dejectedly.

Chip and Harri chuckled knowing how much Lee loved doing shakedown flights. At times, it was a wonder the little sub was still in one piece the way he put her through her paces. Only the hardcore adrenalin junkies volunteered for that right seat ride, like Ski, Riley and Patterson.

"Well I'll do that and you can oversee the rest of the prep on the boat. There's not much left and should meet Jamie's definition of light duty," Chip answered.

"All right, it sounds like everything is set for tomorrow. I now call this workday to an end, so let's get some plates, napkins, and utensils and dig in," Harri interjected. They had all been working hard and it was time for a break.

(o1ooo


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After a light breakfast, Harri and Lee headed into NIMR at 0700. Lee was deposited at Med Bay so Jamieson could check out the incision and make sure he was progressing along. Harri continued on to his office to check email and identify the equipment he needed placed in his lab for the upcoming mission and to touch base once more with his friend in Mexico.

"Wow, right on time," Jamie remarked as he saw Lee walk through the Med Bay front doors.

"Not much choice when your keeper is the admiral," Lee responded with a smile.

"Morning, Lee. How are you feeling today?"

"Morning, Jamie. As you would expect, fine," Lee answered then laughed as the doctor rolled his eyes.

"Come on in the exam room and let me take a look at your sutures. Were you a good captain and rest most of the day, yesterday?" Jamie responded in his most condescending tone.

Lee greeted that response with his own eye roll and sneer as he turned and walked towards the exam room. "As I said earlier, not much choice with the admiral as my keeper. Spent most of the day flaked out on the deck soaking up the sun. I did a little work on the computer, but nothing strenuous so I believe I complied with your orders."

"That remains to be seen," Will answered as he held open the door. "Lose the shirt and hop up on the table."

Lee quickly divested himself of his tie and shirt and sat down on the exam table. Will indicated he should lay down, then jumped into his exam checking his vitals and the incision and stitches. He gently touched the area and got no reaction from Lee indicating discomfort.

"So, any discomfort yesterday? Did you take anything for pain?"

"No, there was really no pain at all. By the end of the evening I couldn't tell that I had had any type of procedure," Lee answered honestly.

"Well your rapid healing rate seems to be holding. This incision is almost completely healed," Will answered as he shook his head in amazement. He reached over and grabbed a scissor from the tray next to the table. "Relax and I'll remove your sutures." He quickly snipped the threads and pulled them out then gently ran his fingers over the slightly pink line of the incision.

"Okay, Lee, you're good to go. You're still on light duty and I don't want you lifting anything heavier than 15 pounds for the rest of the week. What have you got on your plate for today?"

"I was planning on taking FS-1 out for a shakedown flight this morning," Lee lied, looking to see what kind of reaction he'd get.

"Like hell you are!" Jamieson stormed. "I've heard about your shakedown flights and given the G's you're likely to pull you'd start coming apart at the seams."

"Relax Jamie, I'm just kidding," Lee replied with a chuckle. "Chip has that honor this morning. I get to oversee the rest of the prep on Seaview, which is just systems testing. Oh, and the loading of any special equipment you might need for the voyage to continue your research."

Jamie scowled at him for a moment not appreciating the rise in his blood pressure. "Okay, that's acceptable. I'll have my equipment ready for pickup by 0900."

"Great. I'll have Sharkey send someone up to collect it. Speaking of research, any feedback on my biopsy results?"

"I've done my initial assessment and I've found a slightly different tissue structure in the new lobe. It appears to be wholly compatible with the organ so there's no unwanted reactions to the tissue, but it is strange. I sent off a sample to a colleague on the east coast and should be getting something back from him by Friday," Will answered.

Lee's face clouded a bit as the news of his sample being sent outside NIMR registered. "Before you get too worked up, I made very sure there was no trail coming back to you. I told him that I was doing a favor for a colleague at Rampart in LA and just needed a second opinion on what I was seeing."

Lee nodded and relaxed. "Thank you, Jamie, I appreciate that very much. So, how is Parker doing?"

"He's doing fine. He received a clean break of his right tibia which should heal without a problem. He needed a few stitches for a couple of deep cuts, but other than that it sounds like he got off pretty lucky. His wife will bring him in later today so I can get a look at his leg, but he should be up and around by next week and out of the cast in six weeks."

"That's good to hear," Lee replied as he got off the table and began pulling on his shirt. "If there's nothing else, then I need to be on my way."

"No, you're free to go. Remember, no heavy lifting and definitely no FS-1 shakedown flights," Will answered with a smile.

Lee shot him a quick salute and then headed out the door.

ooolo)

"Ready Chief," Morton inquired as he checked off the last item on his pre-flight checklist, and stowed the clipboard.

"Whenever you are, sir," Sharkey replied, then got up, shut the aft hatch and secured it. He returned to his seat and quickly buckled in.

Chip powered up the engines and then eased FS-1 away from the dock and motored slowly past the breakwater into open ocean. He called the tower and got clearance to take off then punched the controls and the little sub rapidly picked up speed and was soon airborne. Morton conducted a number of maneuvers testing general steering and once satisfied that FS-1 was responding perfectly, he headed further offshore so they could climb to altitude and go supersonic.

"How's she looking, Chief?"

"Everything is reading green over here, Mr. Morton," Sharkey replied, then spun around and regarded the consoles behind him. "We're good back here too."

"Okay, I'm going supersonic. Hold on," Chip replied with a smile and hit the button engaging the additional thrusters.

FS-1 responded instantly, like a race horse to the smack of a riding crop, and jumped to Mach 1 slamming her riders deep into their seats. Both men closely regarded the readouts looking for any problems and after 30 minutes finding everything still in the green, Chip made the jump to Mach 2. They once again were slammed back as FS-1 answered the call.

They continued on for another 45 minutes again finding everything in order. Chip initiated a sweeping high speed turn, then headed them for home. When they were 30 minutes out, he reduced power and slowed the little craft to normal operating speed. He put her through another set of maneuvers which she passed with flying colors.

"Looks like she's ready to roll," Sharkey said, as he entered data into his sheet.

Chip nodded in agreement. "Yep, I think we've got the problem licked. Time to get her snuggled up inside Seaview, ready for the ride to Mexico."

Chip called into the tower and notified them he was touching down and would be at the dock shortly. He also ordered the bay doors opened so he could return FS-1 to her bay on Seaview. Upon his return, he deftly hooked up the little sub in her cradle and she was quickly pulled into position on board. Once everything was powered down, the top hatch was opened and Lee made his was down.

"Welcome back," Lee said as his eyes skimmed over the panels. "How'd it go?"

"Hi Skipper," Chip replied. "Smooth as silk. Everything engaged as designed and operated perfectly."

"Great to hear. Now that you're done gallivanting around you can help me finish up the last-minute details," Lee answered.

"Gallivanting?!" Chip responded in mock indignation. "At least this was done in a reasonable amount of time and FS-1 doesn't need additional repairs because you've shaken the rivets loose."

All three men started chuckling. "Just as long as my baby is ready to go," Lee said as he patted her bulkhead fondly. "Come on up, Cookie has been busy in the galley all morning and things are smelling good. I'm ready for lunch."

"Now you're talkin'," Chip replied and he and Sharkey smiled, unbuckled their harnesses and followed Lee up and out of FS-1. As the hatch was lowered and sealed, a small tendril of white smoke seeped out from beneath one of the rear panels.

(o1ooo

It was 0800 and the tide had turned flooding the channel to the subpen with the incoming rush of water. Lee was up in the conning tower and ordered the lines released and Seaview slowly eased away from the dock. Once clear, Lee gave the command to move ahead dead slow and the great submarine gracefully slid forward into the channel leading to the open ocean.

As Seaview made her way ahead, Lee sucked in a huge breath, blew it out slowly and smiled. He was in the one place that truly made him happy. He loved the feel of the wind against his face and through his hair as his beautiful submarine gradually picked up speed as they cleared the breakwater. He had been away from his gray lady for nearly two months, and the hardest part about that was being forbidden access to her to even just walk her corridors.

Chip stood off to Lee's side and chuckled quietly as he regarded his CO and best friend. Right now, the staid and exceedingly competent Captain Crane looked just like a kid who found a puppy or and new bike under the Christmas tree. The unguarded look of utter joy that marked his skipper's face was priceless and he truly wished he had a camera to capture the moment.

As Lee prepared to dive the boat he turned, catching Chip's grin. "What?" Lee asked quizzically.

"Nothing, really. It's just very obvious you missed being aboard," he replied, smiling wider.

Lee didn't even pretend to not know what he was talking about, smiled wider himself and laughed out loud. "You know me all too well, Mr. Morton. So, what say we secure the deck watch and get this lady under the water."

Chip snapped to attention, and fired off a crisp salute. "Aye, aye, Captain." He picked up the mic and clicked it alive. "Secure the watch, prepare to dive."

Lee returned the salute and then made his way down the ladder, followed by his XO. Meanwhile the crew jumped into action clearing the deck and getting below ensuring all hatches were securely sealed. The diving officer carefully monitored his board and once all indicators were green he informed the captain.

"Dive the boat, Mr. James," Lee ordered at which point the klaxons sounded along with the words "Dive, dive, dive" reverberating over the intercom.

"Up periscope, Mr. Morton."

"Up periscope aye, Captain," Chip replied.

Lee took his position at the periscope and regarded the view topside. "Bow awash," he said, then rotated 180 degrees. "Stern awash. Take us to 150 feet, course one eight zero, standard speed."

Chip quickly parroted Lee's order to the helmsman and Seaview was on her way. Lee smiled and received an answering one from every man in the control room. It was great having the Old Man back. Lee reveled in the simple joy of the routines of getting under way and prepared to start issuing his directions for the angles and dangles maneuvers to ensure that everything was safely stored, and operational for their journey.

As Seaview resumed an even keel after a _very_ thorough shakedown and headed south, Nelson came down the stairs into the nose. Chip looked up hearing his steps just smiled broadly and inclined his head towards the man next to him busily updating their course. Harri returned his smile knowing that his captain was having a grand time and beyond pleased to be back aboard his gray lady.

"Well done, Captain. I don't quite remember such an extensive and enthusiastic set of maneuvers to send us on our way, in quite some time," Harri said, in measured seriousness. Lee looked up, blushed slightly and then just smiled as Harri's face could no longer maintain its stern continence. "Have fun?"

Lee just laughed and nodded. "Yes, sir, I did. It's been awhile since I've been in command and just wanted to make sure I had dotted all the 'i's and crossed the 't's. For your information, we are now on course and should arrive at our first location in 24 hours."

"Thank you, Captain. So, have you heard from O'Brien and Ski?" Harri inquired.

"Yes, sir. I spoke with Bobby this morning. They've got _Necessity_ tucked in at the NAS North Island marina. He said she handled like a dream and would be a willing deckhand any time I needed one. I told him FS-1 would pick them up at 1200, at the marina and bring them to Seaview," Lee replied.

"So, who's making that trip?" Chip asked, a very decided twinkle in his eye.

"Um, I thought I would, since I haven't had any stick time lately," Lee answered, trying hard not to smile.

"Is that all right with Jamieson?" Harri asked.

"Yes, sir, as long as I don't get extreme with the maneuvers," Lee replied and rolled his eyes. "Like I would ever do that."

"Uh huh, rrriiiggghhhttt. Keep it right side up and no barrel rolls, okay, son." Nelson interjected.

"Oh of course, sir. I'd never go against my doctor's recommendations, or yours," Lee added putting forth his most serious and innocent expression.

"So, you're going along too, huh Chip?" Harri threw in, then started laughing as Lee's face took on a sheepish smile.

"My guess is I am now, sir." Chip answered. Nelson nodded and patted Lee on the back.

Lee fixed Harri with a slight glare. "Killjoy," he said softly, then chuckled as he picked up a clipboard and began filling out his flight plan for their jaunt to San Diego.

Harri and Chip chuckled as well. "When you get back, we'll have lunch and talk over our plan of action for investigating our first stop."

"Aye, sir," Lee replied.

"Well don't let me keep you from your work. I'm heading down to the lab to continue my research on our jellyfish sample. I'll see you when you get back. Have a safe trip."

"Thanks, sir. We should be back by 1300ish." Lee answered, then returned to his flight plan as Harri made his way aft.

ooolo)

After a very sedate flight from Seaview to San Diego and back, Lee notified the boat of his return then adeptly docked the small vessel with minimal assistance in the docking bay. The top hatch was spun open and as the men inside exited they were greeted by Nelson and Jamieson. Harri threw a questioning look at Chip as he stood next to Lee.

"He didn't exceed the speed limit once and didn't do a single barrel roll. All in all, is was a rather ho-hum flight," Chip succinctly reported. Will and Harri smiled at Lee's eye roll and yawn.

"Aside from picking up valuable crew members, there wasn't much point," Lee replied. Bobby and Ski gave their skipper a quick salute and smile then headed off to get settled in and report for duty.

"Well I believe we all have a lunch date in the wardroom. Drop off your gear and then meet us there in 15 minutes," Harri directed, then he and Will turned and headed for the aft hatch.

Exactly 15 minutes later, Lee and Chip entered the wardroom and made a quick pass through the food line then joined Nelson and Jamieson at their table. As the younger officers finished eating, the conversation turned to the mission at hand.

"All right, let's get started," Nelson said as the galley steward collected the dirty dishes and returned with a fresh pot of coffee and four cups. Chip quickly filled the cups and passed them round. "Lee has identified six potential sites where there has been excessive vessel traffic and could signal illegal offshore dumping of hazardous waste. We will conduct surveys of those locations using both Seaview and FS-1. I want three teams conducting the survey with FS-1, Crane and Kowalski are Team 1, Morton and O'Brien are Team 2, and myself and Sharkey will comprise Team 3."

The men at the table nodded in acknowledgment. "Lee I want you to set up a search grid that will best suit each vessel and cover the greatest amount of area possible. I would think an eight-hour duration should be sufficient to cover the potential area for dumping," Nelson continued.

"Yes, sir," Lee responded. "What types of sensing equipment do you want to employ on FS-1?"

"Magnetometer, for any steel drum, and a chemical probe that I'll calibrate to detect the chemicals present in the highest concentrations in our jellyfish sample. The most valuable equipment will be visual detection. If we find an accumulation of either chemical signals or drums we will converge on that site and begin looking for signs of our quarry," Harri answered. "I've also downloaded a file containing information on the jellyfish that I want you all to review so you're aware of their physiology, life stages, and hunting patterns."

"So, what are the water depths in the region we'll be investigating?" Chip asked.

"They're relatively shallow, not dropping off more than 250 feet at most. The locations are near shore, the furthest out being 40 miles offshore," Lee answered. "I see the problem as dumping from operations onshore as opposed to dumping from large tanker and vessel traffic transiting the area."

"Seems a reasonable assumption," Chip acknowledged.

"What happens if we find one of these things?" Jamie asked.

"We need to converge on it, take some samples to determine if these things are effectively breeding, and then determine how best to eliminate it," Harri stated. "These animals aren't part of the normal ecosystem in this area, with no predators capable of controlling their numbers, and could potentially wipe out just about everything as they try to feed their substantial hunger."

"How are we going to collect samples?" Lee inquired. "Up close and personal really isn't an option."

"I have some probes that we can use from FS-1 which should make that operation safe. We'll need a number of samples to determine if the animal is sterile or fully capable of reproduction."

"Do you think that will pose any danger to FS-1?" Chip asked. "That coelenterate we encountered earlier was large enough to attack a submarine, FS-1 is considerably smaller. Based on what Lee said in his encounter, the one he saw was twice as big as our little yellow sub, which might prove problematic."

"Unless there have been some serious changes to the physical makeup to the critter, we should be able to deter it with the lasers, or if captured either send an electric charge through the hull or just blow through the bell with the engines at full power. I'm dubious the flesh walls could withstand that kind of force," Nelson suggested.

"What if we have to get out to collect samples because they're inaccessible by vessel or probe, or need to abandon ship? Is there some way to protect ourselves?" Lee inquired.

"Based on my experimentation with the stinging tentacle you were good enough to bring back with you, the giant box jellyfish reacts just like its normal sized cousin. It will only sting when it comes into direct contact with living flesh. Only when the cells detect the oils exuded by flesh, will the nematocyst discharge its stinging barbs and toxins. We need to replace the wet suits in FS-1 with fully encapsulating dry suits and helmets to avoid any chance of skin encountering the stinging cells," Nelson explained. "Actually, a thin nylon suit would be just as effective, but we need to make sure the head and hands are protected as well."

"Anything else we need to know before we go forward?" Lee asked the assembled group.

"Just be aware that Sick Bay is fully stocked with vinegar, zinc gluconate, and heat packs should anyone be unfortunate enough to come in contact with one of those things. If someone does get stung, recovery teams need to ensure they don't rub the affected area and do not touch any material adhering to the victim. They could just as easily become victims themselves, since the cells remain active for quite some time," Jamieson replied.

"No antivenin?" Chip interjected.

"No. The samples of toxin I examined are enough different from what is normally produced by a box jellyfish to make the antivenin most likely useless or worse lethal. We need a fresh sample to analyze and then send off for antivenin production if this incident is greater in scope than we think."

"Sounds like you're well prepared, Will. Write up your preferred response procedures and PPE* requirements, and provide that to Sharkey, all dive recovery teams will be prepared to bring any divers on board safely if necessary," Lee directed. Jamie nodded confirming the order.

"What time do you anticipate arrival at the first site, Lee?" Nelson asked.

"We should be on-site by 0800 tomorrow morning."

"Very well, I think we've done all that we can do for now. Let's get to our tasks, gentlemen," Nelson replied. They all rose from the table and funneled out of the wardroom to resume their preparations.

(o1ooo

*Personal Protective Equipment


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Admiral, this is Crane."

"Yes, Lee, what is it?" Nelson replied over the intercom.

"We have arrived on site," Lee answered.

Nelson looked down at his watch and chuckled, it was 0800 and ten seconds. "Have we been here long, or did we just arrive?"

Lee laughed. "We have just arrived, sir. You are more than welcome to check the log," Lee responded.

"No, no, I believe you. Excellent job of navigation, Captain Crane. My compliments to you and your crew."

"Thank you, sir," Lee replied, then turned around and caught the smiles and chuckles from the control room crew. "We aim to please."

Nelson laughed again. "And I appreciate that. I'll be there in a few minutes and we can set our plans for the day in motion. Nelson, out."

Crane shipped the mike, then made a quick notation in the log. "Ski."

Kowalski quickly checked his station then responded. "Aye, sir?"

"Go start the pre-flight on FS-1 so we can set out as soon as the admiral has finished his brief."

"Yes, Skipper." Ski turned over his station to Patterson, then headed forward, opened the hatch to FS-1 and disappeared into her belly.

As he disappeared, Nelson entered through the aft hatch, with Chip in tow. He stopped at the chart table and took a quick look at the chart for the area. "Where's Ski?" he asked.

"He's starting on the pre-flight for FS-1. He should be back up shortly," Crane replied.

"Good. Let's go to the nose and review our plans for the day, shall we?" Nelson responded. Chip and Lee nodded. Lee turned over the control room to Lt. James, grabbed a duplicate chart of the area they were now in and followed Harri and Chip into the nose.

Reaching the conference table, Lee spread out the chart as Chip and Harri gathered around the table. "We're here," Lee started, pointing to a location in the center of the chart. Nelson and Morton nodded.

"Okay, as discussed, I want both Seaview and FS-1 to conduct this survey. We will conduct transects of this area. Lee, you take FS-1 from here shoreward scanning for any magnetic and/or chemical anomalies and we'll go in the opposite direction doing the same. I think we can easily cover 150 to 200 square miles depending on what the terrain turns out to be," Nelson began.

"Or a freakin' big jellyfish," Chip interjected, smiling at the other two.

"Yes, or a freakin' big jellyfish, is a given" Harri responded with a chuckle. "I want hourly reports on your progress and findings."

"Yes, sir," Lee replied as he traced his finger over their assigned search area.

"Once you've completed your survey, if you haven't found anything return to Seaview and we'll relocate to your next potential dump site. We should be able to clear this area in 8 hours or less."

"I agree, sir," Lee responded. "Hopefully we find this thing quickly and can work on resolving this problem."

Before Nelson could respond, Kowalski poked his head up through the hatch to FS-1. "We're all checked out and ready to go Skipper."

"Great, Ski, let's get to it then," Crane answered, then moved to the hatch and prepared to descend. "See you in a few hours."

"Good hunting," Nelson replied. Chip moved to the hatch and gave Lee a thumbs up once he was on the deck of FS-1, then closed the hatch and secured it.

"Mr. James, prepare to launch FS-1," Chip ordered as he moved back into the control room.

"Aye, sir." James replied. He relayed the order to the crew. After a moment, he received confirmation the captain had signaled he was ready to launch. "Ready to launch, Mr. Morton."

"Launch FS-1."

"Aye, sir, FS-1 away." James replied, and watched the panel waiting for the indication the little sub was clear then ordered the sub bay doors closed.

"Thank you, Mr. James," Chip replied. "I have the con. Admiral we are ready to engage in our search pattern at your leisure, sir."

"Very well, Mr. Morton, initiate search pattern," Harri replied, then returned to the control room to check out the course they would be following.

Chip picked up the mic and clicked it alive. "Spotters, report to the con. Helm, come to course two-seven-zero, ahead one third. Engage sensing equipment."

Confirmation of the orders was rapidly acknowledged and the huge sub turned gracefully to starboard to begin their search for the source of pollution and the mutant jellyfish. Almost immediately the magnetometer reported ferric materials in the water. Nelson and Morton walked forward to view what the sensor had picked up and were disappointed to find an old rusting car, of all things.

"Somehow, sir, I think this is going to take a long time. As much as the ocean has become a dumping ground we're going to be investigating a lot of junk," Chip remarked.

Harri nodded ruefully. "Unfortunately, that's all too true. What's even worse, we can't dial back the sensitivity too much because we're most likely looking for things the size of a 55-gallon metal drum."

On board FS-1, Lee and Kowalski were finding a similar situation only more pervasive given the proximity to the shore. The closer to shore, the easier it was for people to push their trash into the surf where it would be carried out to sea and strewn across the sea floor. Lee reported their less that exciting findings hourly as required.

As they were preparing to make their final transect, Ski noticed something in the distance. "Skipper, what's that ahead at 2 o'clock?"

Lee looked in the direction Ski had indicated and noticed an odd pile on the ocean floor. "I don't know, doesn't like anything we've seen before. I'll head on over and you hit it with the light, Ski."

Nearing the pile, it quickly became evident that it was a pile of bones, and based on the skull resting on top it was that of a dolphin. They stared at each other having never seen anything like that before in their undersea experiences. They would from time to time come upon a few bones of some marine mammal, but never what amounted to a complete skeleton in one pile. Scavengers would normally tear apart a carcass and scatter the bones around the area as they removed the edible parts.

"You know what that kind of reminds me of Skipper, an owl pellet," Ski offered as he zoomed in with the cameras to more closely examine the pile.

"You're right, Ski, it is kind of like an owl pellet, all that stuff the owl can't digest and then throws up. I wonder if this is what remains after our jellyfish has had a meal?" Lee replied. "Best run this by the admiral."

Crane actuated the microphone at his throat. "Seaview, this is FS-1, do you read me?"

"Affirmative FS-1, this is Seaview," Sparks responded to the hail.

"Sparks put me through to the admiral."

"Aye, sir. Hold for a second, please." Sparks quickly notified the admiral and transferred the transmission to him.

"Nelson here, Lee. What have you got?"

"Sir, we've just come across what looks like a complete skeleton of a dolphin dumped in a pile on the ocean floor. Ski likened it to an owl pellet, the way it's just the skeleton with no other tissue attached. Do you think this might be the remains of prey after our jellyfish gets through feeding?" Lee replied.

"Interesting hypothesis," Nelson responded. "Can you grab some of the bones and bring them back?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. We've also got some very clear video of the pile as well. This is the only thing that seems out of the normal thus far in our survey. Lots of trash but no sign of a large cache of leaking drums or overgrown coelenterates. We have one more transect to run and then we'll be done for the day."

"Excellent, Lee. Grab as much of the skeleton as you can. Get the skull if it's there, some vertebrae, flukes, and ribs so we can get a good idea how the animal was dispatched or eaten," Nelson ordered.

"Will do sir, as I said it looks to be nearly complete. Once we get that collected, we will carry out our last run and then head back to Seaview. I estimate we should be ready to dock in about an hour. Have you run into anything unusual in your search yet?"

"Nothing like that, but we're running much deeper than you. Chip how much longer until we're finished with our search?" Nelson inquired.

"We've got two more transects and we'll be done and ready to move on to our next location," Chip reported.

"Did you hear that Lee?" Nelson asked.

"Aye, sir."

"All right, once you've finished up hurry back, I'm anxious to see your bone pile. We'll have a light on in the window for you. Nelson out."

As Lee maintained FS-1 over the bone pile, Ski efficiently collected nearly every bone present with the robotic arms placing them in a mesh basket, then raised the basket up to the moon pool and placed them in waterproof bags. "All done, Skipper," Ski reported as he zipped the last bag shut.

"Good job, Ski. You've no doubt made the admiral's day," Lee replied with a chuckle, and was quickly joined by Ski nodding in complete agreement. The skeleton presented an enigma and Nelson was like a dog with a bone until he'd solved the problem presented. They both knew the man would be pacing impatiently around the hatch waiting for them to bring their prize aboard then would disappear into his lab for several hours until he had some semblance of a solution.

With their cargo secured, Lee resumed their last sweep of the area encountering nothing else of interest. He noted their ending coordinates in his log, then turned the little sub towards the area Seaview was investigating and activated the homing beacon so they could return to base. Once the answering signal was received, he goosed the controls and increased speed towards their target.

Having not been able to get in much stick time, Lee put the little yellow sub through her paces zigging and zagging through the water. He pushed the engines testing her speed and ability to respond to changes in direction. Ski sat there and just smiled as he watched his CO play.

"What?" Lee asked as he took in Ski's smile.

Kowalski laughed out loud. "Nothing sir, it's just fun watching you play."

"I'm just checking out her systems," Lee offered lamely, then laughed as well. There was no hiding his joy when he had time to sit back and test his baby with no time critical issues that demanded an immediate return to Seaview. Given all the trouble he'd been through in the last few months, he figured he was due some fun.

ooolo)

Even with his playtime thrown in, Lee signaled his readiness to dock within the hour projected. Seaview acknowledged his request to dock and opened the bay doors allowing him to easily park the yellow sub safely in her nest. As the docking clamps closed gently on the little sub, Crane and Kowalski began powering down the systems and completing their paperwork.

Once that was done, Ski unbuckled his harness and headed up the ladder and undogged the hatch, to find the admiral's face staring anxiously down at him. He smiled in return and then climbed back down to start unpacking their cargo. As he reached the deck he caught the skipper's eye and the twinkle of amusement in his gaze set Lee off chuckling.

"I'm surprised he didn't shove you down the steps," Lee said quietly, which got Kowalski chuckling as well. "Get a couple of guys and have them help you carry the bags down to the admiral's lab. I'll see if I can distract him for a few moments to give you a head start."

"Aye, sir," Kowalski acknowledged with a smile, then spun open the aft hatch and exited into Seaview to get some help.

Lee finished his entry in the log, then unbuckled his harness and rose from his seat. He quickly climbed the ladder into Seaview to greet his expectant boss. As he exited FS-1 a small puff of smoke leaked out from behind a console cover, as the systems began to cool after the work out Crane had put the little craft through on their return to Seaview.

(o1ooo

"Welcome back, Lee," Harri said, as Lee finished his climb and stood on the deck. "How was your survey?"

"For the most part disappointing based on the amount of trash we found on the ocean floor, but the highlight was the bone pile Ski spotted. He's getting some assistance in carrying the bags down to your lab so you can get a first-hand look at them. They've been picked clean, but hopefully there's something left that can indicate how they came to be there," Lee responded.

"Fantastic," Harri replied excitedly. "That's a whole lot more than we discovered other than the trash."

"So how was the trip back?" Chip inquired, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"Fine," Lee answered, then shot him a wry smile. "FS-1 handled perfectly, as she always does for me."

"Yeah, we noticed," Chip replied then started chuckling. "From your track, it doesn't look as though you left a maneuver untried."

Lee laughed out loud at being busted. "You shook her down from the air, I needed to do it in the water," he offered lamely. "I missed my baby." His response elicited a round of laughter from the entire control room.

"Care to accompany me down to the lab?" Nelson inquired.

"Just let me hit my quarters and I'll be there shortly, sir," Lee replied.

"I'll see you there."

By the time, Lee arrived at Nelson's lab, it looked very much like the scene after all the presents had been unwrapped from under the Christmas tree. Nelson had opened up each bag and had the bones laid out in multiple tubs on the counters and floor, moving excitedly between them as he examined the contents.

"Looks like you've been busy, Harri," Lee remarked as he entered and closed the door.

Nelson looked up and smiled, very much like a little boy who'd hit the Christmas jackpot. "Yes, yes, I needed to get them all out so I can examine them. You were quite right in your assessment that these were much like an owl pellet. These bones have been scoured clean by digestive juices I would hazard to guess; there's not the slightest hint of any soft tissue remaining on any of the remains. I need to conduct some experiments to verify that and hopefully determine which creature did this, but I'm fairly certain we already know the answer to that."

Lee nodded his head in agreement as he perused the various tubs. Reaching the one containing the skull he was intrigued by its appearance. He grabbed a pair of gloves then reached in and picked up the head. He rotated it around in his hands, examining it closely. "Wow, even the brain cavity is clean as a whistle. Are you going to be able to determine how long these bones have been in the ocean?" he inquired as he laid the skull back in the tub.

"Based on the limited amount of degradation and the fact these were still in a seemingly undisturbed pile, I would guess a few hours to no more than a couple of days. There's no sign of any lower organisms working to digest the bones. That may be because there is still residual gastric fluid on them, but only tests will reveal that," Harri replied as he continued to putter with his new toys.

"Do you think this is probably its furthest trip north?" Lee asked.

"We won't know that until we find either other piles or the animal itself."

"Well sir, I'll leave you to your samples," Lee replied. He chuckled to himself as the comment had skipped right over the admiral as he was now completely engrossed with evaluating his prize. "I'll be back later to pry you out of the lab for dinner."

ooolo)

At 1930 Lee returned to the lab finding Nelson pretty much in the same position that he had left him a few hours earlier. He noted a number of the machines were in the process of completing their analyses of the recovered bones and a few of the tubs had actually disappeared. Still consumed with his work, Harri hadn't even noticed Lee's entrance to the lab.

As Harri completed collecting a sample, he stood up straight and turned to go to the GC/MS then ran smack into Lee, causing him to jump and nearly drop his sample. "Where the devil did you come from?" he asked irked at being caught unawares.

"Through the door," Lee answered, then laughed at the admiral's rather dour facial response.

"Wise ass. How long have you been here? I didn't even hear you come in."

"I've only been here a couple of minutes. I knocked but apparently, you didn't hear me," Lee replied. "As promised, I have come to collect you for dinner. It's been a long day for all of us and you need a break."

Nelson prepared to launch into a response outlining why he needed to complete this now, but blustered to a halt as he took in the bemused expression of his captain. He harrumphed then released a frustrated sigh knowing Lee would cut him no more slack that he cut Lee when he made similar demands.

"Fine," he responded with a slight hint of exasperation. "Just let me get this sample started."

Lee nodded and stepped back out of Harri's way. Nelson quickly loaded the sample and initiated the run sequence on the machine. He shot a quick look around the lab, and finding it acceptable to leave for a bit unattended he turned and headed to the door.

"So, any startling discoveries thus far?" Lee inquired as he followed Nelson out the door.

"I'm pretty much confirming what we suspected. There were minute traces of gastric juices on some of the bones and they are coming back as a match to the jellyfish. I think you're correct that this is the furthest north it has advanced. Hopefully it found the pickings slim and turned back," Harri answered. "The simple fact that we are in a slack period between mammal migrations may be keeping them down south for now."

"That would be nice for containment concerns. Have you received any more information from Dr. Lopez?"

"I had an email from him this afternoon. They are still finding the odd mammal washing up on shore and they now have three more divers missing near the area where you were attacked. Our next stop is closest to that location, so hopefully we'll find some answers there," Harri replied.

"That's not good. I can only imagine being sucked up inside by that damn thing then being slowly digested alive until your air tanks run out and you suffocate," Lee replied and shuddered. Harri nodded in complete agreement and shuddered as well.

"Marco said they had issued a diving advisory that no one should enter the water, but apparently, the message isn't getting out or is being disregarded," Harri added.

As they entered the wardroom, Chip and Will had already gotten their meal and had started eating. Will gave Lee a quick nod of approval once Nelson had passed, for prying their all too focused at times boss out of his lab. Lee smiled in acknowledgment, and followed Harri getting his meal.

With plates loaded, they returned to the table and engaged in idle conversation saving the mission related topics for after their meal. Again, once the plates had been cleared, Nelson called the meeting to order.

Lee provided a rundown of his activities during the day and what they had encountered. Chip followed up with Seaview's search results. Next, Will reported on his additional studies of the jellyfish venom and his findings so far on Lee's biopsy. He indicated that he should be receiving the results from his friend back east by email sometime the following day. Harri finished up with his initial findings on the recovered bones Ski and Lee had found, and the update he received from his friend in the Mexican Navy.

"Tomorrow we'll be in the area of the recent diver disappearances. We'll follow the same protocols that we did today regarding search transects, but narrow the width between each pass so we're taking a closer look. Thanks to Ski's keen eyes, we now have something else to look for," Harri stated. "Chip, you and Bobby need to review the footage FS-1 brought back so you'll have a general idea what a jellyfish pellet looks like. Since this area has the greatest number of reports, we should find at least one."

"Aye, sir," Chip answered. "How was FS-1 handling today, any issues?" he asked Lee, then winked.

"No, she was operating in the green. She was responsive to all requests and no problems with power or engines," Lee reported. Chip nodded and smiled.

"If we find a pellet, do you want us to gather a sample or just document it with video and log the coordinates?" Chip inquired.

"Unless there's something different about it just video the accumulation. If this proves to be the point of origin, there are probably going to be quite a few pellets on the sea floor." They all nodded in grim agreement. "What time are we scheduled to arrive?"

"We should be on-site around 0300," Lee replied, and received a confirming nod from Chip.

"Let's shoot for a start at 0700 tomorrow since we'll be making more passes," Harri said. "Well I think that pretty much takes care of things for now. I'm heading back to the lab to see if my analyses are complete. Have a good evening and see you in the morning."

They all rose from their seats and headed out of the wardroom. As Lee passed Jamie, he was tapped on the shoulder. "Come on down to Sick Bay with me Lee, I want to take another gander at your incision and grab another blood sample." Lee frowned momentarily then acquiesced, following the doctor down the passageway.

"This won't take long," Jamieson said as they entered Sick Bay. "Please remove your shirt and I can check how you're healing and siphon you off in short order."

Lee quickly undid his tie, then removed his shirt and sat down on the exam table. When Will walked over with his equipment he indicated Lee should lie down and relax. He quickly took Lee's blood pressure, checked his pulse, then extracted a vial of blood. He next focused on the small scar left from the incision.

"This is amazing, you are completely healed and the scar is almost gone. I think you're rate of healing has slowed down a bit from the jellyfish attack but it's still phenomenal," Will said as he gently rubbed his finger over the thin white line below Lee's ribcage. "Still no pain I take it?"

"Yep. There hasn't been any pain whatsoever," Lee answered honestly.

"Well hopefully you'll maintain at least some of this amazing ability to recover given your stellar record in finding injury," Jamie replied then laughed. "It will make my job much easier in the long run."

Lee smirked at him in return. "Glad to be of such help." They both laughed.

"All right, Skipper you're all done. As of now you're back on unrestricted duty, so be about your walk-a-boat," Jamie replied.

"Thanks, Jamie," Lee answered as he popped up off the exam table. He quickly donned his shirt and scurried out of Sick Bay, both to Jamie's amusement and exasperation.

(o1ooo


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Seaview arrived on location as projected and was at station keeping when the skipper and XO descended the stairs at 0630. Lee reviewed the log book and then took command from Lt. James, while Chip opened the hatch to FS-1 and climbed down into the little sub, only to find O'Brien already there finishing up the pre-launch checklist.

"Morning, Bobby, a little excited about heading out today?" Chip said, smiling at the younger officer's eagerness to be part of the off-boat activities.

"Morning, sir," he replied, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. "I've got just about everything complete and we'll be ready to deploy on time."

Chip laughed. "I appreciate that. So, is everything already aboard for today's mission?"

"Yes, sir. I also added some more memory cards if we need to do more extensive video recording, and threw in some extra sample bags as well. I really appreciate being given the opportunity to participate in this, sir," Bobby replied enthusiastically.

"Don't thank me, thank the skipper and admiral. They both thought it was about time you started taking on some of the other activities we conduct to give you some experience. As you are probably well aware, these types of missions can be as exciting as watching paint dry or turn into a terror ride without a moment's notice, so save your thanks until we get back."

Bobby laughed and nodded in full agreement having heard and witnessed how the mundane all too frequently turned into near disaster. He finished up his checklist then passed it to Chip for review.

"Looks good," Chip said and initialed the list. "Let's head topside to get the final mission brief and then we'll be on our way."

"Aye, sir," Bobby answered, still unable to tamp down his enthusiasm for the trip. Chip chuckled as he began to climb up the ladder, remembering all too well how excited he was when he was a younger officer and really getting into the meat of things.

Once both Morton and O'Brien were on deck, Lee looked up from his chart and regarded them. "Morning Mr. O'Brien, is FS-1 all ready to roll?"

"Morning Skipper. Yes sir, she's checked out and rarin' to go," he replied with a wide smile.

Chip and Lee both smiled enjoying the younger man's excitement at taking on the new duties. "Excellent. I'm sure Mr. Morton has filled you in on what to expect, hasn't he?"

"Aye, sir, he has. He indicated we will either have unrelenting tedium or sheer terror. Apparently, there is no middle ground when it comes to off-boat excursions."

All three broke out laughing, but did realize that was pretty much true to form. "Good to hear he hasn't oversold the experience," Lee finally responded.

Their attention was drawn to the staircase as they heard the familiar cadence of the admiral's steps down the stairs. Lee grabbed a quick look at his watch and smiled, it was precisely 0700.

"Morning, Admiral," Lee said.

"Morning, gentlemen," Harri replied. "Have all preparations been made?"

"Aye, sir," Lee answered. "We are ready to initiate our surveys upon your orders."

Harri smiled and then chuckled. He motioned them to join him in the nose to go over the parameters of the search grids one more time. They quickly gathered around the chart on the table and watched as Nelson traced the transects with his finger.

"Since this is an area where we know there has been contact, let's slow things down a bit so we make sure to get a good view at what's out there," Harri stated. The others nodded. "You up for this today, Mr. O'Brien?"

"Aye, sir. Thank you for including me in this, sir," Bobby replied.

"I'm sure you've been advised not to give out thanks for these assignments until they're over and you're safely back aboard?" Nelson admonished playfully.

Bobby smiled. "Aye, sir, that has been pointed out to me a number of times. Thanks, all the same, anyway."

"All right then, let's saddle up and ride. Chip, you and Bobby get aboard FS-1 and launch as soon as you're ready," Lee interjected.

"We're on our way," Chip answered then headed for the hatch with Bobby close behind. Ten minutes later, FS-1 was clear of Seaview and each vessel began her transit of the search area.

ooolo)

The first four hours of the search lived up to the mundane and boring promised by the XO. Bobby stretched out his back and yawned as they made the turn to make the return transit. Chip smiled and did the same. He picked up the mic and reported their results as scheduled and were informed Seaview's search was equally enthralling.

"Still glad you got to come along?" Chip asked.

"Yes sir, I'm just enjoying being out in FS-1," Bobby replied with a smile.

"That I believe. Bobby, you're welcome to call me Chip, when we aren't in the control room."

"Thank you, sir…I mean Chip," Bobby replied thrilled at the extra measure of familiarity with the XO. "Would you like a soda or cup of coffee?"

"Sure, I could take a Coke," Chip answered, as he updated the information in the autopilot.

Bobby got up and rifled through one of the lockers and came back with two cans of soda. They had just popped the tops when an alarm sounded on the sensors. Bobby quickly hit the button and began reviewing the data.

"Chip, we've got a hit on both sensors. We've got metal and chemicals dead ahead. The magnetometer is barely picking it up but the chemical sensor has a strong hit and it's getting stronger as we move ahead."

"Thanks. Where is the metal hit?"

"It's off to starboard, one eight five degrees," O'Brien relayed.

Chip took over control of FS-1 and made the required adjustment to her course. "Are we getting closer?"

"Aye, sir. Keep on this heading, both signals are definitely getting stronger."

Chip reached up and activated his throat mic and contacted Seaview. "Seaview this is FS-1, do you read me?"

"Seaview, go ahead FS-1," Sparks responded immediately.

"Put me through to the skipper."

"Hold one. Okay, sir you're on the line."

"Crane here, what have you got Chip?"

"Lee we've got both metallic and chemical hits on our sensors, and the signals are getting stronger as we close in on the source. We have yet to see any pellets…check that…Bobby is that what I think that is?" Chip replied.

"Whatcha got Chip?" Lee inquired.

"Seaview, we've just come upon a pellet that looks to be a seal. The deposition is identical to what you encountered yesterday, Lee," Chip responded. "Whoa, you're right Bobby…we've just spotted another two that appear to be another seal and a dolphin. I think we just found an active hunting ground."

"Copy that Chip. Send your coordinates," Lee ordered. Chip quickly transmitted their current position. As if on cue, Nelson appeared through the aft hatch having come up for air after completing his examination of the skeleton. "Admiral, FS-1 has found multiple pellets, and has hits on both their magnetic and chemical sensors."

Harri motioned to Lee to hand him the mic. "Chip, have you located any drums or other containers yet?"

"Negative, Admiral, but we've adjusted course honing in on the signal. Both sensors are reporting stronger readings as we progress."

"Very good. Continue on and let us know when you find the source," Nelson responded.

"Aye, sir. Morton out."

"What do you think, sir? Should we change course and head to FS-1's location or continue on with our sweeps?" Lee asked.

"Continue on with ours until Chip finds the source. If we aren't finding anything significant then we can break off and join them," Nelson replied. "Where are they anyway?"

Lee located the coordinate Chip provided on the chart. "Here," he said placing his finger on the spot. With his other hand, he indicated another spot less than a mile away. "This is where I was attacked."

"Well I'd definitely say we're closing in on the point of origin," Harri said releasing a sigh. "Steady as she goes, Captain. I'm going to Sick Bay to check on Jamie's research. Let me know immediately if Chip comes up with something new."

"Will do, sir."

(o1ooo

As the sensor signals increased in intensity, FS-1 finally began encountering what they were searching for. It started slowly with metal drums of varying sizes scattered randomly across the bottom. Proceeding further towards the source, the number increased to the point where the seabed was littered with them.

The sensors were pegged being completely saturated by the input they were receiving. The drums were in various states of decomposition from their contents and the effects of the seawater around them. Some had diffuse clouds of varying colors swirling in the underwater current as the movement of the water washed the chemicals out of the ruptured drums.

Chip and Bobby sat stunned and agape at the sight, almost incapable of believing the total disregard someone had for the environment. Chip slowly moved FS-1 forward as the video cameras captured the devastation before them. As they progressed, they began noticing more and more pellets interspersed amongst the drums. It was almost as if the jellyfish returned here to digest its prey.

"Oh, my god," Bobby whispered in horror and disbelief.

"What Bobby?"

Unable to speak, Bobby raised his arm and pointed to a pellet off the starboard side. As Chip focused on the sight, he felt his blood run cold. The pile of bones was that of a human being, and amongst the bones was a scuba tank, mask, fins, BC, and weight belt.

Chip wrenched his eyes away from the shocking vision and stared for a full minute at the deck as he brought his emotions under control. Once composed, he triggered the mic.

"Seaview, this FS-1," he said grimly.

"Seaview here FS-1," Sparks answered immediately, concerned at the tone of the XO's voice.

"Patch me through to the captain," Chip ordered. Sparks instantly forwarded the transmission.

"Crane here, what's up Chip?"

"Lee, we just found the remains of one of the divers. There's a pellet that contains a tank, fins, mask, and weight belt," Chip reported solemnly.

"Oh god," Lee replied, quietly. "Hold one Chip. Sparks, page the admiral and get him up here ASAP." Sparks nodded and called Nelson to the control room. "Is that the only one?" Lee asked.

"So far. We have found the dumping grounds and it's a complete mess. There are drums everywhere leaking their contents into the ocean. It's no wonder this thing was mutated by chemical waste, it's so pervasive the sensor is pegged."

"Any sign of the jellyfish?" Lee inquired.

"No, but there are pellets all over the area mixed in amongst the drums. It's an ecological disaster zone here," Chip replied sounding rather shaken by what he'd seen.

"Are you and Bobby okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine, it's just such a repugnant sight."

As Lee prepared to respond Nelson arrived in the control room. Lee gave him a quick rundown on what FS-1 had found. "Chip, can you safely retrieve the body?" Lee asked after a brief discussion with Nelson.

"Yes, I think we can collect it using the arms like Ski did with the dolphin. Bobby laid in an extra supply of storage bags so we're all set," Chip replied.

"Okay, then proceed with that. See if there are any other personal items around the diver that might help identify him. Once you've done that, start a survey of the area to determine the boundaries of the site," Lee ordered.

"Will do. Lee by the looks of this place and the number of pellets on the seafloor, I'd almost hazard a guess that that thing comes back here to digest its prey probably because it's safe from any other sea life, as strange as that sounds."

Nelson and Crane exchanged surprised looks. Jellyfish normally floated with the current and didn't remain in the same area, this sounded like a major change in the animal's behavior that could make it easier to locate and destroy it. "Copy that Chip. Go ahead with your recovery operations and then start the survey. Transmit your coordinates and I'll have Seaview on course and heading your way shortly."

"Copy, Seaview. This place is spooky as hell, it's like sailing through a graveyard. Get here as soon as you can," Chip replied.

"We're on our way, Seaview out," Lee said and terminated the connection. He quickly issued orders setting Seaview on course for Chip's location and would be on-site in about 90 minutes.

"What do you think, Admiral?" Lee asked.

"I'm not quite sure what to think at this moment. We really need to lay eyes on what Chip's found and then see if we can figure out a way to locate the jellyfish or draw them to us," Nelson replied. "If Chip's right, these chemicals have changed much more than the animal's physical makeup they have impacted its behavior as well. It will be interesting to see what those changes are."

"One addition would be that of focused hunting, if we go by my experience with the thing. I wonder why it would need to establish a territory given there's probably nothing that can successfully take it on," Lee answered.

"Excellent question, Captain. The possibilities are numerous and none of them good."

ooolo)

"All right, Bobby, you heard the man, let's see about getting that diver aboard so we have something we can return to the family. Are you okay on the arms or would you like me to do it?" Chip inquired.

"I can handle it, Mr. Morton," O'Brien replied as he unfastened his belt and got up from his seat. He quickly deployed the collection basket through the moon pool, then activated the controls for the arms. "So much for the mundane aspect of our mission," he quipped morosely.

"Yup, kind of looks like you're getting the terror tour," Chip responded. "Okay, I'm moving us in, let me know when you need me to stop or move."

"Yes, sir."

Bobby adeptly manipulated the arms, carefully picking up the contents of the entire pile and depositing into the basket. Once done, he activated the winch pulling the basket up to the moon pool so he could unload it and place the contents into the bags. When the basket was in position, Chip unbuckled and assisted him placing the remains and gear in the bags, then helped him stow them.

They exchanged a rather haunted look as they each shut a storage locker. This was the last thing either of them had expected to find on their survey. Chip patted Bobby on the shoulder and gave him a wan smile.

"Ready to get back at it?" Chip asked.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I could seriously go for a shot of something to steady my nerves, but I'll get over it, Chip."

"I know what you mean. We'll have a shot once we get back aboard Seaview, once we're off-duty for the night," Chip answered, then moved to his seat and buckled in.

Chip activated FS-1's controls and began defining the extent of the dumping zone. Much to their dismay, they still weren't into the main dumping region as they encountered drums upon drums as they moved closer towards shore. They kept a keen lookout for pellets and thus far had been relieved to only find animal skeletons.

As they reached what was most likely the center of the dumping area, Chip spotted an odd geological feature. There appeared to be a cave opening flanked by boulders and drums. He maneuvered the little sub over to the area and immediately encountered a stronger current.

"Interesting," Chip remarked as he fought to adjust FS-1's position in the increased flow of water. "Shine the spots on that opening."

Bobby quickly complied illuminating the possible cave. As the lights spread across the surface, they both drew in a shocked breath as they found yet another missing diver. This pellet was different as the diver had been wearing a wet suit. Bobby fought hard to keep the contents of his stomach in place.

"Oh god," Chip finally said breaking the oppressive silence.

The pellet was half in and half out of the opening and the presence of boulders and drums made it virtually impossible for the mechanical arms to pick up the pieces. Chip debated momentarily then decided that he would head down and collect the remains personally.

Bobby looked at him aghast. "You can't be serious, we're going to go out there and pick up the remains by hand? I don't mean to sound like a coward or anything Mr. Morton, but wouldn't it be better to wait for Seaview to arrive?"

"Not we, I am going out there. Given the current that's shooting along here, that body could easily be washed away. Since the body appears to be contained in the wetsuit, it should be an easy in and out."

"Where have I heard that before?" Bobby asked sarcastically, garnering a dirty look from Chip. "Sorry sir."

"No, you're right, but I think I can get this thing collected in about five minutes and be back on board. It will afford the family some closure," Chip replied. "Come on, we both need to suit up, in the event I need your help."

Both men quickly changed into their dry suits, then deployed the collection basket for Morton to carry over to the opening. Chip grabbed his dive lights and checked to ensure they were working. He also attached a remote camera to his helmet so he could capture all he saw during his dive.

"You know the skipper and the admiral are going to have a fit, don't you?" Bobby asked in hopes of dissuading Chip from going.

Chip smiled and nodded as he sat on the edge of the moon pool ready to put on his helmet. "Okay crack open my tanks," he ordered. Once the air began flowing into the helmet, Chip pulled it on and locked it in place. He gave Bobby the okay sign. "I'll be back as quickly as I can." He then slid into the water and disappeared.

(o1ooo

Once in the water, Chip quickly grabbed the basket and began swimming towards the opening. He was quite surprised at the strength of the current and really had to kick to make any headway. Upon reaching the opening he set down the basket as close as he could to the body, then swam forward to start picking up pieces.

As he entered the cave he realized that it must have been some ancient volcanic lava tube. He squirmed in behind one of the drums to disentangle the body when he was hit by an unexpected surge of water. He spun around and looked behind him then sighed in relief at not spotting anything swimming in the area, but when he dropped his gaze as his light beam touched the bottom of the tube his eyes grew wide in horror.

The bottom of the tube looked much like a huge tongue covered in gigantic jellyfish polyps as far as he could see. He momentarily felt like Ripley wandering into the egg chamber of the monster in Aliens, and warily eyed the polyps just waiting for them to start to hatch. It made sense that a giant jellyfish would spawn bigger offspring, but he hadn't expected what was laid out before him. It looked as if these things had been laid like a clutch of fish eggs instead of normal jellyfish polyps that took root wherever the current deposited them.

"Mr. Morton, are you okay?" Bobby called over the radio, since Chip had failed to say anything in some time. "Mr. Morton…Chip?!"

Bobby's urgent request for response snapped Chip back. "Yeah, Bobby I'm here. There's a whole field of baby jellyfish in here," he replied. As Chip continued to stare, another stronger rush of water slammed into him knocking him into the tube wall and tumbling out of the opening where he caught his suit on the jagged edge of a drum, tearing a huge hole in the back and side.

"Damnit!" Chip cursed knowing Lee, the admiral and Jamie were going to flay him alive.

"What?!" came the excited voice from FS-1.

"Just being careless that's all," Chip replied as the chemical soup invaded his suit. "I'm going to have to leave the body, I just ripped my suit. I'm on my way back."

"Do you need any assistance?" Bobby offered.

"No, I can make it back. Just be ready to help me aboard when I get there."

"I'm standing by," Bobby replied. A moment later Chip emerged from the field of drums, swimming awkwardly because of breach in his suit. To his horror, Bobby spotted the rapid approach of the jellyfish coming in behind Morton.

"Chip, behind you! That jellyfish is on your six!" Bobby yelled. He moved quickly to the laser controls and fired it up should he need to scare that thing off.

Chip shot a quick look over his shoulder and was shocked at the monstrous thing making a beeline for him. He kicked for all he was worth, but between the ruptured suit and a jet-propelled jellyfish he was no match. The animal swooped down dangling its arsenal of weapons from its huge tentacles.

Morton zigged to the right, successfully avoiding the approaching tentacle but then swam right into the other one that trailed off to the side. The tentacle barely brushed his back but it made enough contact with the bare skin exposed by the tear in his suit to inject a crushing load of toxin into Chip's back.

He screamed in agony as the nematocysts fired, thrashing and convulsing in pain as the toxin raced into his system. He fought as best he could to keep moving towards FS-1 but found his strength rapidly flagging as the toxin worked efficiently to immobilize him for collection and consumption by the feeding arms of the jellyfish now descending upon him. He continued to struggle but finally found himself floating helplessly to the bottom.

Bobby rapidly aimed the laser and fired off a number of shots, severing a couple of the feeding arms and one of the stinger laden tentacles. The jellyfish recoiled in apparent pain and quickly jetted away leaving its helpless prey on the ocean floor. As the jellyfish departed, Bobby pulled on his helmet and jumped into the water and swam frantically over to his injured commanding officer.

As he reached Chip, he could see him still convulsing and could hear his moans of pain over the comm channel. He grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up off the bottom. Knowing if he put him in a rescue swimmer's hold he could potentially cause any nematocysts still on his back to fire, he took hold of his wrist and towed him back as quickly as he could.

Reaching FS-1 Bobby released Chip's weight belt and inflated his BC causing him to rise up and float on the surface of the moon pool. He then scrambled aboard and pulled the injured man onto the deck. Once on board Chip curled instinctively into a fetal position, moaning and rocking slowly in pain. Bobby worked frantically to get Chip's helmet off because he had already vomited and the last thing he needed was to aspirate any of that into his lungs.

Bobby dropped his tank and then released the one on Chip's back, careful to ensure no contact between the tank and the torn area of the dry suit. He proceeded to grab a knife and sliced the suit off Chip's body revealing the red and rapidly blistering area on his back and side. He pulled the first aid kit out of the locker and tore it open. He found the vinegar Jamieson had placed in all the kits for this mission and quickly cracked the seal and opened the bottle. He then poured the vinegar over the inflamed area causing Chip to cry out in more pain as the liquid made contact with the open wounds.

"Sorry, Chip, sorry," he said as he went through the treatment procedures Jamieson had run them all through. Not willing to try lifting him up to the bunk, Bobby pulled the mattress down and as gently as possible positioned the exec on the mattress. He grabbed a bottle of water, wet a towel then gently bathed his face removing the vomit.

Having done the best, he could for the time being, Bobby snapped up the mic and placed an emergency call to Seaview. "Seaview, this is FS-1, emergency. Do you read me?"

In less than a second Sparks answered the hale. "FS-1 this is Seaview, we read you. What is your emergency?" Having heard the word emergency, Lee nearly ran across the control room and stood apprehensively next to Sparks waiting for the answer to that question.

"Seaview, Commander Morton has been stung by the jellyfish and is going into shock. He's currently unconscious though his body continues to convulse because of the toxin."

"Sparks tie Jamieson in on this now," Lee said, as he picked up the mic. "Bobby, we copy. Jamieson is being tied in now. Doctor you have the transmission."

Jamieson quickly requested O'Brien review what he had done to treat Morton's condition, then asked him to count his pulse and respiration rates. As that conversation went on, Lee ordered Seaview to flank speed to get there as rapidly as possible. Having given his commands for the new course and alerting the admiral to the situation, Lee returned to the radio shack in time to hear Jamie return the conversation to the con.

"Bobby, is Chip stable enough for you to pilot FS-1 back to Seaview?" Lee asked.

"Aye, sir. There's nothing else I can really do for him right now," Bobby replied.

"Very well, then get her fired back up and lock in on our homing signal. Once we're in close proximity we'll drop speed and allow you to dock," Lee answered. "Keep this line open, okay."

"Copy that Skipper," Bobby acknowledged. He moved to the pilot's seat and prepared to engage the engines. As he pushed the throttle forward urging the engines to engage there was a loud pop followed by a belch of white smoke from behind one of the control panels and an overwhelming odor of burning plastic.

"Damn!" Bobby cursed, then quickly unbuckled his harness, grabbed the fire extinguisher behind him and doused the flicker of flames that licked out at the edge of the console. As he addressed that problem FS-1, now devoid of power, settled softly onto a number of the barrels on the sea floor still oozing toxic waste.

"What happened Bobby?" Lee asked anxiously as they all listened to the lieutenant's soft curses and the hiss of the extinguisher being discharged. "O'Brien, report!"

"Skipper, I just lost the engines. Everything was fine when we came out, but when I tried to get us moving something in the back console went bang and caught fire. Fire's out but so are the lights, engines and the controls. I'm sitting on the bottom on top of a bunch of metal drums."

"Okay Bob, hold tight. Do you have sufficient air to breath?" Lee inquired.

"Yes sir, that system is still operational, plus we have the dive tanks if we run into problems."

"Good, one less thing to worry about. We should be on-site in 23 minutes. How did Mr. Morton come to be stung?" Lee finally asked.

"We found some more human remains near what looked like a cave. There was no way we could get in there with the remote arms, and there was a wicked current ripping through the area threatening to move the remains. Mr. Morton thought he could go out, retrieve the body and be back aboard with no problem. That's where we hit the snag, sir," O'Brien began.

Crane and Nelson exchanged frustrated and concerned looks as they waited for the lieutenant to continue. "You're a bad influence, you know," Nelson said quietly along with a wan smile. The comment garnered a sheepish look and a shrug from his son.

"When he got to the body, he looked into the tube and said the entire bottom was covered in jellyfish polyps as far as he could see. Next thing we know there's another surge of water through the tube which caught him off guard and threw him into some metal drums. He ripped a huge hole in his suit on one of the drums, exposing his back and side. As he started swimming back to FS-1, the jellyfish appeared and came after him. The tentacle just brushed his back and side where his suit was torn and next thing I know he's screaming out in pain," O'Brien reported. "As he was thrashing around in the water, the jellyfish moved in to collect him, but I managed to drive it off with a couple of shots from the laser. I cut off a couple of its tentacles. Sir, that thing came out of nowhere. I had been keeping watch and one second nothing and the next this huge jellyfish."

"Was Chip able to swim back after that?" Lee inquired.

"No sir. Once the jelly was gone, I dove in and pulled Mr. Morton back aboard."

"Good job, Bobby. While you're waiting for us to arrive, talk to Chip and let him know you're there and he's not alone. Having gone through what he's experiencing, the sound of another person's voice is very comforting even if he isn't conscious."

"Yes, sir. I'll take good care of him," O'Brien replied.

"I know you will. Just 10 more minutes."

ooolo)


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

As Seaview arrived on scene, Lee quickly backed her speed down easing her closer to the downed FS-1. Both Nelson and Crane stared in amazement at the sheer number of drums scattered around the area.

"No wonder we have a mutant from Hell," Harri said, shaking his head in disgust.

Lee deftly maneuvered Seaview over FS-1 then ordered her to station keeping as he surveyed the scene. "Damn," he said quietly.

"What, Lee?" Harri asked equally quietly.

"I don't think we can use the emergency docking ring to pull FS-1 up from the sea floor. The minute we turn on that powerful magnet, FS-1 along with every metal drum in the area will come rushing up to greet us. It will make docking impossible with all that clutter around the boat."

"I see what you mean. What would you suggest?" Nelson asked.

"They're resting on drums, I can swim down there and hopefully find a gap that will allow me to wiggle in underneath and gain entrance that way. I can affect repairs on the necessary circuits and then either get her under way or blow the ballast tanks and take her to the surface," Lee replied.

Nelson stared at him as though he were mad. "You honestly think you can make it down there without meeting the same fate as Chip?"

"Yes sir, I do. First off, I've got Seaview to support me and ensure that anything that comes looking for a snack is dispatched. Secondly, I'm the only one who should risk it because, according to Jamie, I have developed some sort of immunity to the toxin should anything get by you. And finally, I know those circuits backwards and forwards and have the best chance of making the fastest repairs and get Chip into Jamie's waiting hands."

"You may be immune to the toxin, but I'm sure you're not immune to its digestive juices should you get grabbed by its feeder arms," Harri countered.

"Go back to my first point; I have the utmost confidence in your ability to eliminate anything coming after me and with enough crew to monitor every bit of ocean outside the boat, nothing should get the drop on me," Lee replied. "Harri, we don't have time to argue this. Chip's in trouble and I'm his best chance at getting him and Bobby back onboard."

"All right Lee, go ahead. Take Kowalski with you."

"With all due respect sir, I should do this alone. I don't want to put another crewman at risk. You'll have eyes on me the entire time so if I run into problems you can react."

"Very well, Captain, but you better bring all of you back," Nelson said reluctantly having to agree with Lee's logic.

"Thank you, sir. I'll be back as soon as I can," Lee answered then turned and ran out the aft hatch.

As Lee completed zipping up his dry suit, Jamieson entered the missile room carrying a small waterproof pack, which he handed to him. "What's this?"

"It's an emergency med pack. It has a couple of IV's you need to get started in Chip as soon as you arrive along with some chemical heat packs to ease the pain. These should help stabilize his condition somewhat and give him more of a fighting chance. In talking with O'Brien, he's not doing well so anything we can get going before you get him on board will hopefully improve his chances," Jamie explained.

"Thanks, Jamie. I'll see to this first thing."

Lee stood, placed the helmet over his head and picked up his fins and the med pack, Sharkey moved in behind him and cracked open his air tanks. He gave Will the diver's okay sign then walked to the exit chamber and climbed in. Sharkey closed the hatch and initiated the flood sequence as soon as the skipper gave him the signal he was ready to go.

As the external hatch to the dive chamber opened, Lee cautiously eased his way out looking for any sign of the jellyfish. Not spotting anything, he immediately began swimming towards FS-1. He flashed Nelson an okay as he went past the nose windows then dropped down to the bottom where FS-1 rested. He carefully examined the area around the bottom of the sub and found a spot where some of the drums had fallen over creating an entryway of sorts. He squirmed his way between the drums and FS-1's hull then surfaced in the moon pool.

(o1ooo

The look of relief on O'Brien's face as he popped up in the moon pool almost made him laugh if the situation hadn't been so dire. Bobby quickly extended a hand and pulled his CO up onto the edge of the pool. He assisted Crane in removing his helmet and gave him a wan smile once it was off.

"Hello, sir. I'm sure glad you're here," Bobby said.

"Thanks, Bobby. How are you doing?" Lee asked as he divested himself of his gear.

"I'm fine sir, it's Mr. Morton that's in bad shape. He finally quit convulsing, but that's about the only good thing that's happened. His heartbeat is getting really erratic and he's starting to have trouble breathing," O'Brien reported.

Lee stood up, grabbed his pack and moved to Chip's side. He quickly checked his vitals then pulled back the towel O'Brien had placed over the stings and drew in a quick gasp and grimaced as he looked at the damage done. He could all too easily relate to what his friend was going through.

"Hand me the mic." Bobby quickly complied. "Seaview, this is Crane. I'm aboard. Jamie, are you on the line?"

"Yes, Skipper, I'm here. How's Chip doing?"

"Not good. Despite Mr. O'Brien's best efforts Chip's condition is really deteriorating. He's having difficulty breathing and is now on oxygen, and his pulse is slowing and becoming erratic. I'm ready to start the IV's and administer the medication if I have your go ahead," Lee replied.

"You have my approval, Skipper."

Lee opened the bag and pulled out several IV bags and a catheter so he could get Chip the badly needed assistance. He then pulled out a number of sealed packets and handed them to O'Brien. "Here, get these heating and then apply them to Chip's side."

Bobby nodded then activated the heat packs and gently placed them over the affected area. Meanwhile Lee adeptly inserted the needle in Chip's arm and started the flow of desperately needed drugs and fluids. Field medic training was a critical component of ONI agent training, and Lee had never been so glad to put it to such good use. Chip sighed in relief as both the heat and medication began to work. Lee conducted another quick check of his condition and reported his vitals to Jamie.

"Okay Bobby, for now you keep tabs on Chip while I try and figure out what went wrong and see if we can fix it," Lee said as he rose from Chip's side and eyed the control panel caked in fire retardant.

"Aye, sir."

Lee pulled on a head lamp and turned on the light. He then unhooked the latches and carefully opened the panel. He rapidly surveyed the damage and visually traced the wires to their various ends. The damaged section was easily identified as the wire coating had been totally burned away and the wire itself was crumbling.

"Damn," he said having detached the remnants of the wire and rolled it between his fingers. "Looks like they missed a section of that bad wire we got." As he continued his survey, he released a sigh of relief as he discovered the damage was very localized and hadn't spread to other areas, thanks to O'Brien's quick actions.

"How's it look, Skipper?" O'Brien inquired as he mopped Chip's brow of collected sweat.

"Not as bad as it could be. Your quick response kept the whole panel from melting down. Well done, Bobby," Lee replied. O'Brien smiled slightly at the praise from his CO. "Bet you didn't count on getting the terror tour your first time out, did you?"

"No sir, I didn't," Bobby answered. "This definitely blew the more mundane part of the survey out of the water."

Lee chuckled. "Hope this doesn't completely turn you off from future off-boat excursions," Lee added with a grim chuckle.

"No, sir. I'm sure not all of these junkets are this intense," he replied with a small smile.

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Lee smiled then activated the mic on his throat. "Seaview this is Crane."

"Go ahead, Lee," Nelson replied instantly.

"Admiral, the damage is considerable, but not something I can't overcome. Thanks to O'Brien's quick action, he kept the entire panel from being destroyed," Lee started. "The best course of action is to return power to some subsystems, blow the ballast tanks and lift us off the bottom. Once we're clear of the drums, you can activate the magnetic retrieval gear and pull us in."

"Copy that, Lee. How long do you think that will take?" Nelson inquired.

"I should have us moving in about 30 minutes or less unless there's more extensive damage I haven't spotted yet. I'll contact you when I'm ready to give it a try."

"We'll be standing by," Nelson replied.

Lee set immediately to work, pulling wire, bypassing circuits and making new connections. Within 5 minutes he had returned the lights which brought a brief cheer from Seaview as they saw the windows light up, and a sigh of relief from those in FS-1.

"Well done, son," Nelson said to himself.

After another 15 minutes, Lee activated the mic. "Admiral, we're ready to go."

"Good job, Lee. Do you need anything from us other than operating the recovery equipment?" Nelson inquired.

"Negative, sir, other than making sure you're directly over us. I should be able to bring her straight up and then when I get close to the docking bay, you can latch on and pull us home," Lee answered. He stood up and secured the panel he'd been working on then moved to the pilot's chair. "You ready, Bobby?"

O'Brien nodded. "Do you want me to buckle in, sir?"

"No, I want you to stay by Chip's side and make sure he doesn't get bounced around. How's he doing?"

"Not good, sir. He's really having a tough time breathing," Bobby answered as he adjusted the oxygen mask over Chip's face.

Lee nodded and let loose a dejected sigh. "Well hopefully Jamie can correct that once we get him on board. Okay hang tight." Lee activated the mic once more. "Seaview, we are beginning our ascent now." He hit the switch and the ballast tanks were dutifully filled with air and the little sub lifted easily off the seafloor.

Within in minutes they felt a slight jerk as the magnetic recovery ring neared the sub and then heard the mechanism clamp down on the hull and begin drawing them into Seaview. As soon as the boards flashed green, the aft hatch was nearly torn open by Jamieson and his corpsmen. Jamie moved immediately to Chip's side, conducted a quick exam of his patient then had him transferred to the stretcher and whisked out of FS-1 and down to Sick Bay almost before Lee and Bobby had time to register their presence.

ooolo)

Lee finished powering down the systems as Bobby policed up the deck a bit after Chip had been removed. He then climbed the ladder and spun open the hatch to find Nelson's anxious face staring down at him.

Bobby smiled slightly. "Permission to come aboard, sir."

Nelson returned his smile. "Permission granted. Well done Mr. O'Brien, on all counts."

"Thank you, sir," Bobby replied and blushed at the high praise from the admiral. He continued up the ladder and was quickly followed by the skipper.

"Welcome back, Captain," Nelson said. "Good job, son."

"Thank you, sir. It wouldn't have been possible if hadn't been for Bobby here."

"How's Chip doing?" Harri inquired.

"Not good. He's really having difficulty breathing and listening to Bobby's reports to Jamie his heartbeat has become dangerously erratic. That venom is really doing a number on him."

Harri nodded his understanding. "Why don't you and Mr. O'Brien go get cleaned up, then we can head to Sick Bay and get an update on Chip's condition. That should give Jamie sufficient time to get a feel for his condition."

"In a minute, sir," Lee responded. "Sharkey."

Sharkey hurried over to Crane's side. "Aye, sir."

"Chief, this is the culprit for the engine meltdown," Lee said as he handed him a bit of charred wire. "This quite obviously was missed during the maintenance on FS-1. I want you to get a team down in FS-1 now and recheck ALL the wiring and get started on repairs ASAP. I want her up and running by 1200 tomorrow." There was no doubt the captain was pissed that the wire had been missed and that it had almost cost his best friend his life.

"Yes, sir," Sharkey replied and swallowed hard as he regarded the segment of wire in his hand. "I'm guessing it musta got missed when that sling broke and injured Parker. Riley was the only emergency medic around and he was also doing the rewiring. Grayson took over while Riley accompanied Parker to Med Bay."

"I don't care what the reason, Chief, I just want it repaired and I want procedures adjusted to make sure it doesn't happen again. Get me?" Lee replied tersely.

"Yes, sir, loud and clear, sir," Sharkey replied practically coming to attention before his irate CO.

"Good, now see to it Chief," Lee responded more amicably. He turned and regarded both Nelson and O'Brien and blew out a sigh, having now completed his tasks. Nelson gave him a quick nod agreeing with his actions. "Come on Bobby, let's get a move on."

(o1ooo

Twenty minutes later, Nelson, Crane and O'Brien entered Sick Bay and were extremely dismayed at the scene they found. Chip was still laying on the gurney, had been placed on a ventilator, and had several additional IV packs dripping their contents into his arm. The heart monitor attached to his chest reported the erratic cadence of his heartbeat as the toxin attacked the red blood cells in his body. His right side and chest were covered loosely in bandages where the jellyfish had stung him.

The worst thing they saw was the expression on Jamieson's face, which conveyed the answer to their as yet unasked question. He shook his head silently and rubbed his eyes.

"Do I even need to ask, Will?" Harri inquired quietly.

"It's not good. Nothing I've tried has fully stabilized or reversed his condition and he's growing steadily weaker. He's on a very slippery slope, and I'm at the bottom of my bag of tricks with nothing working," Will reported, the frustration apparent in his voice. "If we'd only had a chance to get more toxin and try to formulate an antivenin."

Lee looked pensive for a moment then locked eyes with Will. "To create an antivenin all you need is blood from an organism that has developed an immunity, right?"

"Yes, but we don't have that," Will replied.

"Sure, you do," Lee responded. Jamieson stared at him quizzically. "Didn't you tell me I had developed some sort of immunity to the toxins that thing produces?" Will nodded. "Can't you use the antibodies in my blood to synthesize an antivenin?"

Will's eyes grew wide as the lightbulb went on as he considered Lee's words. "You're absolutely right! Great thinking, Lee!" he exclaimed. "I'll get right on that. I'll need to tap you one more time Skipper, we'll need at least a pint of blood to generate enough antivenin. Admiral may I use your lab?"

"Of course, Will. I'll gladly help you out any way I can," Harri replied enthusiastically.

"Will, for one time only, you can tap me at your leisure," Lee responded, thrilled at the prospect of finding Chip a cure.

Will smiled then waved Lee over and had him lay down in one of the bunks. He quickly moved to the supply cabinet and grabbed what he needed to collect Lee's donated blood. He deftly inserted the needle into Lee's arm and started siphoning off the needed fluid. Once finished he helped Lee sit up and provided him some fruit juice to give him a sugar boost and begin replacing the fluids he'd lost.

"Frank, continue with the current treatments and keep a close eye on his heart. If he runs into serious complications call me at once," Jamieson directed. "Come on Admiral, there's little time to waste." Nelson and Jamieson nearly ran out of Sick Bay and down to the admiral's lab to hopefully find the wonder serum to save Chip's life.

After they had left, Lee carefully got up and moved over to Chip's side, then gently picked up his hand. "Come on bro, you can kick this. If I could do it, you can. Just focus on getting well."

"Uh, Skipper, I'm going to head on up to the con and see if James needs a break," Bobby said softly, not really wanting to intrude.

"No, you've had a full day already and need something to eat and some rest," Lee replied. "I'll head up there in a few minutes and give him a break."

"Really, sir, I'm fine. It's no problem."

"Thanks Bobby, but I've got it covered. You got a hell of a lot more than you bargained for today anyway. I can tell by looking at you the adrenalin rush has worn off and you're just about to crash. You can come on duty a couple hours early to help cover Chip's shift tomorrow morning," Lee offered.

"Yes, sir. I'll be there," he replied. "Do you think they'll be able to make an antivenin for him in time, sir?"

"Given the two men doing the looking, I have no doubt that they'll find exactly what he needs. They're the main reason I'm still alive, and they're not about to bust their record of saves on Chip," Lee answered honestly, then chuckled.

"That's true, sir," he replied smiling slightly. "Well, if there's anything you or Mr. Morton need, just let me know."

"Thanks, Bobby, and again you did one hell of a job out there today."

"Thanks, Skipper." O'Brien walked over to Chip and patted him on the shoulder. "Hang in there, sir. Help is on its way." He then exited Sick Bay and headed for the wardroom.

Lee returned to Chip's side and sat down on the stool positioned next to the gurney. "O'Brien went above and beyond to rescue your butt buddy, so you best not waste his effort," he said quietly to the still man. "You also have Harri and Jamie working overtime looking for the cure, so you don't want to tick them off either by doing something stupid like giving up. I know where you are and what you're feeling, I've been there. Just focus on breathing and finding your happy place and it will all work out."

Lee sat there another twenty minutes talking softly to Chip and watching Frank monitor his condition and injecting additional drugs into his IV as things changed. Knowing James needed to be spelled, he pushed up from the chair. "I have to head to the control room now. Don't give Frank any trouble. Keep fighting Chip, I know you can kick this." He picked up Chip's hand again and gave it a squeeze then laid it down and headed for the con.

ooolo)


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Dr. Jamieson to Sick Bay, emergency!" The call shattered the relative quiet of Nelson's lab as he and Will were working diligently to synthesize an antivenin to counteract the toxic effects of the jellyfish sting Chip had endured. They had been at it for nearly six hours, oblivious to the passage of time. They were getting near the point of having a viable serum when the unwelcome call reverberated through the intercom.

Jamieson bolted to the mic and snapped it up. "Jamieson, report Frank."

"Doctor, he's going into cardiac arrest. John is currently administering CPR and we've shocked him twice with the defibrillator. His heart gets going then falters."

"All right, give him a dose of adrenaline and I'll be there as fast as I can. Jamieson out." Will slammed the mic back in the bracket and tore out of the lab heading for Sick Bay and his failing patient.

"Damnit!" Harri swore and slammed his fist against the counter. "Come on son, just hold on, we're almost there." There was nothing he wanted to do more than rush to Sick Bay and be there for Chip, but the best thing he could do for him was complete the work he and Jamie had started. They were down to the last steps of producing the antivenin.

Harri watched with undisguised impatience as the centrifuge whirred separating the blood cells from the plasma. Once that was complete he would add the enzyme they had selected to breakdown the antibodies and isolate the active ingredients. He was still an hour or so away from a finished product and even then, it would be untested and a best guess on their part. He just prayed to God that Will could keep him going until then.

As Harri fretted over the manufacture of the antivenin, Will engaged in the struggle to keep Chip alive. He injected Chip with more drugs trying to stabilize his heart and keep it beating while increasing the whole blood transfusions to replace the blood cells being damaged by the effects of the toxin. After nearly an hour of intense battle, his condition stabilized a bit but at a dangerously low level. Any more upsets, and he seriously doubted he could compensate for his weakened system and the clock would run out.

(o1ooo

Lee fought back the urge to call down to Sick Bay and demand an update on Chip's condition. He knew Jamie and his staff needed to remain focused on their critical patient instead of wasting time talking to him. He paced incessantly around the control room as he waited for any feedback from the doctor or the admiral.

After realizing that he was most likely driving the control room crew mad with his unending motion, Lee took his frustration forward to the nose and began scanning the area in front of them looking for any sign of their quarry. They had already found numerous pellets, which seemed odd given the variety of animals that had been killed and the fact that the remains were concentrated in this area. It was as if the jellyfish was going out to hunt, then returned here to digest its prey. Given the debris field, it was as if the jellyfish had staked out a territory and was sticking around to protect it instead of moving with the food source and the currents.

Something Bobby had told them about Chip's foray to recover the human remains struck a chord. He said that Chip reported seeing the entire bottom of the cave covered in jellyfish polyps as far as he could see. Lee wondered if given the extreme mutation of the animal, it had somehow developed a paternal 'instinct' to protect its offspring until it was capable of surviving in the open ocean. There were any number of fish species that protected their clutch of eggs or even fry until they were big enough to have a fighting chance. If this was the case, then the spread of the jellyfish might be easily controlled if this was their first clutch of polyps.

He now desperately needed to speak with Harri and lay out his theory. Lee looked quickly around the control room then out the windows and finding everything calm, he called over Ensign Brice.

"Brice," Lee said.

"Aye, sir," the young man answered immediately.

"I need to go down to the lab to speak with the admiral. You have the con. If anything comes up, contact me at once."

Brice's eyes got big for a moment as he realized what the skipper was giving him. "A…aye sir," he replied tentatively.

"Is that a problem, Ensign?"

"No sir, no problem. Just caught me off guard, sir." Brice answered instantly.

Lee smiled fully understanding how he felt being given the con for the first time. "Everything is calm. Have the crew keep monitoring for the return of the jellyfish and alert me immediately if it shows up."

"Aye, sir."

Lee patted him on the back, then headed out the aft hatch down to Nelson's lab.

ooolo)

Lee entered just as Harri was transferring the antivenin to a flask and preparing to take up to Sick Bay. He shot Lee a quick smile as he carefully poured the liquid into the container.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lee asked, hopefully.

"Yep, that's our first batch of antivenin. Come on, let's head to Sick Bay and get this to Will."

Lee nodded in agreement and fell in behind Harri as he walked purposely out the door and down the corridor. As they entered Sick Bay the heart monitor was issuing yet another alarm reporting the erratic beat of Chip's heart. Jamie was at his side instantly reviewing the readings and injecting yet another dose of epinephrine. When the machine quieted as Chip's heart once more established a more regular beat he looked up, extreme worry evident on his face, shook his head and blew out a ragged breath at having dodged yet another bullet.

"Is that it?" Will asked.

Nelson nodded as he passed the flask to the doctor. "Yes, that's the final distillate from the process. I hope there's sufficient quantity and time for it to work."

"I don't think we're going to have any time to test whether he'll have a negative reaction to the serum. He's just too unstable and if he does react, we're done regardless," Jamie replied grimly.

He moved to the supply cabinet and pulled out a syringe, then filled it with the liquid in the flask. He removed the air bubbles then slowly injected the liquid into Chip's IV.

"How long until you know if this works," Lee asked quietly as he gazed at his friend on the gurney.

"Hopefully it should start neutralizing the venom fairly quickly, then we just need to keep treating the damage already done. We will know almost instantly if he's allergic as he'll go into anaphylactic shock," Jamieson replied.

They all stood silently watching the readouts from the various monitors reporting Chip's condition. Luckily there was no allergic reaction to the serum and slowly Chip's heartbeat began to steady and even out as the medications in his blood stream began seriously taking effect.

After 45 minutes, the heart monitor reported a steady rhythmic beat and Chip began to struggle against the ventilator as he tried to breathe on his own. Will listened to Chip's heart and lungs, took his BP, checked his temperature, and was highly encouraged as they took on a much more normal reading. Will smiled and let out a cleansing breath of relief.

"It's working," Will reported. "His body can now focus on repairing the damage done and getting healthy. He's going to be weak for quite a while as his body works to replace all the damaged red blood cells, but barring any complications he should be fine."

Lee and Harri returned Jamieson's smile and blew out their own breaths of relief. "Thanks, Jamie, that's great to hear," Lee said. "Thanks to you both, your serum did the trick." Both men nodded.

"Well if you hadn't pointed out we had our own antibody factory, it would have been quite a different story," Jamieson replied. "Why don't you all clear out for now? I need to remove the ventilator tube, conduct a more in-depth exam, then Frank and John need to get him cleaned up and into a bunk. He's going to be asleep for quite some time, his body is exhausted from putting up such a valiant fight."

"Will do," Nelson replied. "Come on Lee, I could use something to eat and I bet you could too."

"Yes, sir," Lee answered. "That will be perfect. I have a theory I want to run by you anyway. I just need to stop by the control room to check on Brice first."

"Okay, I want to freshen up a bit as well, and then I'll meet you in the wardroom in 15 minutes."

(o1ooo

As they finished up their meal, Harri pushed his plate forward and sat back against his chair and sighed. "So, what theory do you want to run by me, Lee?"

"While I was in the con waiting for word on Chip, I started staring out the windows at the mess in front of us. I started to count the pellets interspersed amongst the drums and realized that there was a wide variety of species represented there. This seemed anomalous to the normal behavior of these jellyfish to have such a concentrated killing field, being a nomadic species. It almost seems as if these things hunt for their prey then return to this area, their territory if you will, to digest their meal. I had to wonder why, until I recalled something O'Brien had said when he relayed what Chip had told him. In the cave, he said the thing was covered with polyps for as far as he could see, I'm wondering if these mutant jellyfish have somehow developed a paternal instinct to protect their offspring until they're mature enough to survive on their own."

Nelson stared at Crane intrigued by his observation and attendant theory. As he thought back over what he had observed, Lee was absolutely correct. "Very interesting theory."

"Consider this as well, sir. The jellyfish didn't show up until Chip arrived at the mouth of the cave and presented a threat to the polyps inside. It may be a stretch on my part, but couldn't it have reacted to protect its offspring?" Lee continued. "If that is the case then hopefully the fish that attacked me and Chip are the Adam and Eve of this mutant species, this is their first clutch of offspring and they haven't matured to the point of being free swimmers to go forth and multiply. This could be our only opportunity to eliminate the threat that they present to the rest of the ocean community."

Harri nodded his approval and smiled. "Good thinking, Lee. It will be easy enough to test that hypothesis by introducing a 'threat' to the offspring by moving near the nursery and see if momma and papa come calling."

"I've had the control room crew watching the monitors looking for any sign of the jellies, but nothing since the attack on Chip. We can try moving Seaview closer to the cave to see if that works as a trigger. Although I'm wondering if she would be too large and the animals would see it as an unacceptable threat to themselves."

"Only one way to find out. Let's go reposition Seaview now and see if that elicits a response. If it doesn't we can come up with something else, maybe a ROV or possibly something dropped from the moon pool near the mouth of the tube."

"Sounds like a plan, sir." They arose from the table and headed out the door towards the control room.

"How are you feeling, son?" Harri asked as he regarded his son. "You've had a busy day between your duty rotation, going out to rescue FS-1, and donating blood. You're looking more than a little beat."

"I'm fine," Lee replied neutrally.

Harri laughed. "Why did I even ask? Once we've relocated Seaview, I want you to go to your cabin and get some rest. I'll cover the rest of the shift until O'Brien comes on duty."

Lee was about to protest until he caught the look on Harri's face indicating any response other than 'Yes, sir' would not be acceptable. He released a frustrated sigh. "Aye, sir."

"Smart lad," Harri said and chuckled as they entered the control room.

"Looks like everything is just as I left it, well done. Mr. Brice, I have command," Lee announced as he entered.

"Aye, sir," Brice responded sounding somewhat relieved.

Lee and Harri smiled at the ensign's response and then moved forward to look out the windows. Lee pointed out what he had observed and Nelson was quick to agree with his captain's assessment of the site.

"Mr. Brice, any sightings of the jellyfish?" Lee inquired.

"No, sir. We haven't seen much of anything; the ocean seems pretty much devoid of sea life of any significant size."

"Not surprising given what's roaming around these parts," Lee remarked. "So, Admiral do you think positioning Seaview directly over the entrance to the cave will draw a response from those animals?"

"I think it's as good a choice as any. Though you may be right about her size being a deterrent for their return. We can leave her there for the rest of the night and if nothing arrives by morning we can rethink our strategy."

Lee nodded. "Helmsman ahead dead slow," Lee ordered. His command was immediately parroted by the crewman. Seaview crept forward slowly until Lee was happy with her location. "All stop and maintain position."

"All stop, aye, sir."

Harri and Lee strained their eyes searching the water ahead for any sign of the jellyfish but found nothing. The other crewmembers monitoring the cameras likewise saw no sign of the mutant fish. They continued to stare out the windows for nearly an hour. Harri finally rubbed his eyes and stretched.

"Well you have completed your task, Captain. I believe you are now off duty and heading for you cabin and bed, correct?" Nelson stated.

Lee gave him a quick smile as he rolled his eyes. He just took his walk-a-boat away. "Aye, sir. I'll see you in the morning, sir."

"Sleep well, son. I'll contact you if anything should pop up."

ooolo)


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

At 0500 Lee walked down the steps into the control room. He conducted a quick visual sweep taking in the scene. He turned his attention to the windows and scanned the view outside, seeing nothing had changed from last night he picked up the log book.

"Morning, Skipper," O'Brien said, having spotted his CO.

"Morning, Bobby. How are things going?"

"Pretty quiet actually. Nothing has shown up to try and chase us off, so either we're too big for the critter to take on or we present no threat at all, according to the admiral," O'Brien reported.

Lee nodded as he looked over the log. "Well, I guess that means we have to try some other way to draw them in, or go out hunting."

"Great news about Mr. Morton, isn't it, sir? You were right when you said the admiral and Doc would find the cure," Bobby replied with a smile. "How's he doing today?"

"Yes, it was a fantastic stroke of luck that they had everything they needed to make the antivenin," Lee answered and smiled as well. "I haven't checked on Chip this morning, yet. I wanted to stop by here and see if there had been any developments since last night. Seeing nothing has happened and you have everything well in hand, I think I'll mosey down that way now and scope things out."

"Fine, sir. Please let me know how he's doing."

"Will do, Bobby." Lee patted him on the back then headed out the aft hatch towards Sick Bay.

He quietly opened the door to Sick Bay and entered, nodding his greeting to John. He walked over to the bunk room and took a quick peek inside spying Chip sleeping soundly in a bunk. He still had a couple of IV's attached and the heart monitor was keeping tabs on his heart rate, but the rest of the equipment had been removed. There was much more color in Chip's face and he looked to be resting comfortably. Lee smiled and returned to the office.

"Hi Skipper," John said quietly.

"Hi John. How's he doing? He looks a lot better today than yesterday."

"His vitals are strong and he's just sleeping now. Doc's got him on supplements to help rebuild what the toxin destroyed. He thinks that there shouldn't be any long-term damage and that he'll fully recover," John reported.

Lee smiled, thrilled to hear such a great prognosis. "That's great to hear. Has he been conscious at all?"

"No sir. I think he's probably just too exhausted after fighting off the effects of the venom. Doc is expecting him to wake up sometime today."

"Thanks for the report. Have someone notify me when he wakes up, okay?"

"Will do, Skipper."

Lee headed out the door and down to the wardroom to claim his first cup of coffee of the day. As he entered the wardroom he found it empty except for Jamieson sitting at one of the tables sipping on a cup of coffee deep in thought. Lee grabbed a cup, filled it up and walked to the table.

"Mind if join you?" Lee asked.

Jamie blinked and smiled, brought out of his reverie by Lee's voice. "Morning, Skipper. Please, take a seat."

Lee smiled and sat down. "Morning, Jamie. Where were you? You looked as though you were a million miles away."

Will laughed self-consciously. "Oh, I was just going over all that has occurred in the last day or so. I've been thinking over Chip's remarkable recovery once we got the antivenin in him. This is a silly question I know, but have you been down to Sick Bay yet?"

Lee nodded and smiled. "Just came from there. John gave me a quick rundown on Chip's condition. He looked much better than yesterday, that's for sure."

"Oh, he is. In fact, remarkably so. His white blood cell count is almost back to normal and the stings on his chest and back are healing rapidly as well," Jamie reported. "I'll probably be comfortable releasing him to his cabin in another day or so, barring any complications."

"That's great to hear. You and the admiral really pulled out a miracle with the antivenin serum," Lee responded.

"I think we had the benefit of a supercharged source for the antibodies," Jamie answered as he fixed Lee with a stare. "I think there was most likely some carryover from your exposure to the Odejaian drug and the subsequent changes to your liver."

"You sure?"

"No, not at this point in time, but I think it's a very good possibility," Jamieson replied. He picked up his cup and took a large sip then remained quiet for a moment considering whether to reveal the information he had received yesterday. Decision made he continued. "I got a response from my friend who examined the biopsy sample and he is champing at the bit to get his hands on the donor. He indicated that the new addition is significantly modifying how the liver is functioning and wants to further study the subject."

Lee frowned and shook his head no. "That's not going to happen," Lee stated flatly.

"What if this change proves to be a miracle mutation so to speak, that has the capability of healing a myriad of medical problems? Would you in good conscience turn your back on the possibility of healing thousands of people?"

"In a heartbeat. I willingly offer up my life to protect and save thousands if not millions of people in pursuit of my chosen career. If this so called new capability was to come to light, I would be immediately imprisoned in a gilded cage somewhere, held safe so that I could be tapped to heal the highest bidder. What makes my life worth living, commanding this submarine, working for ONI, my choice of recreational pursuits, hell nearly all I enjoy in life, would be taken away to ensure that no harm would come to me until they could replicate what has happened to me or until I died of old age. You can't be naïve enough to think that this miracle mutation, as you call it, would be readily made available to the unwashed masses who most likely would need it most," Lee replied earnestly. Jamieson stared at Lee somewhat taken aback by his rather cynical candor. Before he could comment, Crane continued.

"In my work for ONI, I have seen far too many instances of what I've described applied to poor undeserving souls just because they were uniquely adept at something. In all honesty, I'm surprised the admiral has escaped being placed in protective custody given his intellect and abilities. In other parts of this world he would not be allowed to run free given his propensity to invent things like Seaview or based on what he already knows. You add a truly marketable item like a wonder drug on tap and I would disappear from the face of the earth. Do you see now why I didn't want anyone else to know about this?" Lee added.

Jamie nodded more than a little surprised at the captain's fervent response. "We could remove the growth, then there would be no temptation to lock you away should it ever come to light," Jamieson offered.

Lee shook his head no, again. "No, I don't want to take that on, that introduces unwarranted risks as far as I'm concerned. As long as it doesn't pose a threat to my life, I'll keep what I have and play the hand I've been dealt. Also, there's no guarantee that it wouldn't return. There is a very small circle of people that knows about this and I want to keep it that way. In fact, I would very much like to have all those records just disappear, if you get my drift."

Will looked at him somewhat shocked. As he was about to respond, Nelson walked in. "Morning, Lee, Will."

"Morning, Admiral," they both answered. They sat there quietly casting quick glances at each other as they watched Nelson get a cup of coffee and return to the table.

"Did I interrupt anything?" Nelson inquired as he regarded the expressions on Crane's and Jamieson's faces.

"No, not at all," Lee replied neutrally. "We were just talking over Chip's recovery from the sting. I was complimenting you both on producing such an effective antivenin."

Nelson stared at the two men momentarily, there was something more to their conversation that had them on edge, he was sure of it. He nodded after a moment and took a sip of his coffee, he would corner his son later to find out why. "I haven't had an opportunity to go check on Chip this morning, how is he doing?"

"Exceptionally well," Jamie answered. "I had just remarked on that to Lee and indicated I thought the supercharged serum base was most likely the reason for his rapid recovery."

"Interesting hypothesis, we'll have to check that one out further down the pike," Nelson responded, closely watching the expressions on the other men's faces. Both nodded in agreement, then hastily picked up their coffee and took a drink.

"I checked with O'Brien this morning and he indicated we had no visitors during the night," Lee said, quickly changing the subject.

"Yes, that's true. I think we're too big and too docile to be considered a threat," Nelson replied. "I suppose we'll have to come up with another way to test your theory, Lee. Any suggestions?"

Lee nodded. "I think a little bait ought to do it. We need to get down to the mouth of that cave and check out what Chip saw. I'm hoping he's awake relatively soon so we can confirm what he told Bobby, then get in there and eradicate the problem."

"Just what do you mean by bait?" Nelson inquired.

"I think a dive party might be the answer. If my orders have been carried out, FS-1 will be back on line by noon then we can position her directly over the cave and deploy a dive team to get some video of the inside," Lee answered.

"You can't be serious?" Jamie interjected. "You want to expose others to that thing?"

Lee stared at the doctor for a moment, not overly surprised at his reaction. "I think it would be the most effect way to find out if these things have become territorial and paternal. Apparently mechanical objects don't draw them in, they're probably like sharks drawn by the signals and movements of living organisms."

Nelson regarded his captain considering his argument. "I think we'll try an ROV first," Harri said. "That will give us something to do until Chip wakes up and can tell us exactly what he saw, plus we'll be able to get some video footage if we can maneuver it inside the cave. It's also much smaller in size and may prove to be the right bait to bring these things running."

"I like that idea much better," Jamie offered.

"Point taken, sir," Lee replied, as he pushed to his feet. "I'll see about getting one prepped and ready for launch, and check on the status of FS-1."

"Aren't you forgetting something, Captain?" Nelson asked innocently.

"What sir?"

"Breakfast. Cookies' got it all put out now, you wouldn't want to offend him, would you?"

Lee rolled his eyes and dropped his head in defeat. "Yes, sir," Lee replied, then turned and made his way to the serving line to load up a plate to the sounds of Nelson's and Jamieson's chuckles.

(o1ooo

Having finished breakfast, Lee made his way down to the missile room to get crewmen working on setting up an ROV for deployment. He was dubious about it being able to draw in the jellyfish, but he definitely wanted the video of the inside of that cave. He informed them what he needed on the probe then left them to their work. Patterson indicated it would be ready to launch in about 90 minutes. He then headed back up to the control room to relieve O'Brien.

As he entered the aft hatch, he spotted Nelson up near the windows surveying the landscape ahead. He took command from Bobby, conducted a thorough review of the con touching base with the men on duty, then headed forward to see the admiral.

"See anything yet?" Lee asked.

"Nope," Nelson replied shaking his head. "That's the depressing thing about this. There should be all kinds of fish out there along with the odd pod of dolphins, seals, or even whales. Nothing is hanging around here because of that toxic soup out there and that jellyfish picking off anything that looks edible."

"I've got Patterson working on your ROV, he'll be ready to launch in about an hour. I had him add extra lights and double the recording capacity so we can get all the video you want," Lee reported.

"Well done. How are things coming with FS-1?"

"She should be ready for a test drive by 1200. Both Riley and Grayson have apologized profusely for not completing the job and have both been working on the rewire to make sure it's right this time. I popped them on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper and then had them get with Sharkey to update the procedure. I understand how it happened, but that lapse could have cost Chip and Bobby their lives," Lee reported.

"You're right. We got lucky this time though," Harri responded. He shot a quick glance over his shoulder and surveyed the control room behind him and found everyone busily working at their stations. "So, what were you and Jamie going at this morning?" he asked quietly, making sure not to be overheard.

"What makes you think we were going at it?"

Harri stared at Lee, brow furrowed, eyebrows slightly raised, not pleased at being treated like a dolt. "Oh, I don't know, could it be because the tension in the room could be cut with a knife?"

Lee blushed slightly and again admonished himself that Harri had become all too adept at reading him. "It has something to do with certain biopsy results and the amazing recovery of the XO," he replied barely audible to Nelson. "It's not something I feel comfortable discussing here, Harri. Could we wait until we're both off duty?"

Lee's use of his first name in the control room surprised Harri and conveyed the depth of his extreme discomfort with the topic. The pleading look Lee was showing him told Nelson how uncomfortable he was. "Of course, son." He reached over and patted him on the shoulder. Lee graced him with a quick relieved smile as a show of thanks. As he prepared to change the topic, he was interrupted by a page over the intercom.

"Captain this is Sick Bay."

"Crane, here," Lee replied after quickly snapping up the mic.

"Skipper, Mr. Morton is awake and accepting visitors," Jamieson reported. A cheer of relief rippled through the control room at the announcement.

"That's great news, Doctor. We'll be down right away. Crane, out." He shipped the mic then smiled at the admiral and the control room crew. "Care to join me, Admiral?"

"More than happy to, Captain."

"Mr. O'Brien, please watch the store for a bit," Lee said.

"Glad to Skipper. Please tell Mr. Morton I'll come see him when I'm off duty," O'Brien acknowledged.

"Will do, Bobby."

ooolo)


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

As Nelson and Crane entered Sick Bay, they immediately spotted Chip sitting up in bed working on a sizeable stack of pancakes, eggs, hash browns and toast. He was totally unencumbered by IVs or monitoring equipment and looked to be completely relaxed.

"Good to see your run in with that fish didn't affect your appetite," Lee said with a chuckle. "What no _jelly_ with your toast?"

"Hey, I missed lunch and dinner yesterday, and I've had more than enough jelly for the time being, thank you very much," Chip bantered back.

Lee laughed then crossed the room and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze in greeting. "Good to see you up and feeling well. We all had rather serious doubts about you yesterday."

"Thanks. I hear I have Bobby and you to thank for getting me back," Chip replied.

"You owe Bobby big time. He went out after your ass and rescued you single handedly. That was an incredibly stupid thing to do, Chip, but we'll talk about that later," Lee responded.

"Yeah, then you came out by yourself, and rescued us both," Chip answered, letting Lee know his actions were questionable as well.

"Ah, but I had permission to carry out my off-boat excursion," Lee countered, as he fixed his XO with a pointed stare.

"Gentlemen, no need to go into this now. Chip is just getting back his strength and I think you should both be evenly matched when you go at this," Nelson cut in. "So how are you feeling, Chip?"

"Really pretty good all things considered. My chest and side are still rather tender and are starting to itch, but that's to be expected. Jamie told me I have you and Lee to thank for that as well."

"Will and his staff had a rather large hand in your recovery too. Don't let him downplay their efforts to keep you running," Nelson replied.

"Oh, I've already thanked them and will be making payment upon our return. It's steak dinner all around if you and Lee would be interested in joining us."

"You're buying?!" Lee asked. "Count me in on that one. I just love surf and turf."

Chip glowered at him then laughed. "Whatever you want bro, I think I owe you most of all. I heard you let Jamie tap you for an entire pint."

"Eh, I wasn't really using it. Oh, don't forget O'Brien," Lee added.

"No way I could ever do that."

"Chip, O'Brien said you saw something in that cave before you were attacked. Could you give us your account of the dive?" Nelson asked.

"Yes, sir," Chip responded. "As I got to the diver's remains I shined my light into what looks like an old lava tube and damn near had a heart attack at what I saw. The entire surface was densely covered with polyps that were about eight to ten inches long as far as my light could reach. It sort of reminded me of a giant tongue. They looked just like the pictures you showed us of the normal jellyfish variety just much bigger. There's also one hell of a current ripping through there, which most likely keeps washing food down to the polyps. That's how I ripped my suit, there was a sudden surge that sent me spinning into some drums."

"Do you think they were close to reaching maturity?" Nelson inquired.

"They looked well formed, very similar to the last picture in the development chart. I'd say they're getting pretty close to letting loose of the bottom."

"Damn, then we need to get busy and take care of them before they become free swimmers and head out into the open ocean," Nelson remarked. "Lee, how soon until the ROV is ready?"

"It should be ready any time, sir."

"Given the current ripping through that tube, the ROV may not have enough power to make headway or maintain position, sir," Chip added.

"Well, we need to give it a try and also find out if the smaller object draws back the jellyfish," Harri replied.

"You think they're protecting the polyps, sir?" Chip asked.

"It's a possibility. Given our survey of the area, there's not enough game to feed something that large. Lee has hypothesized that these things hunt elsewhere then return to digest their catch and maintain vigil over their young."

"Wow," was all Chip could say. "That's quite a jump up the evolutionary ladder."

"Skipper this is Patterson," came the page over the intercom.

Lee walked over to the mic on the wall and picked it up. "Crane, here. What is it, Pat?"

"We're ready to deploy the ROV whenever you're ready, sir," Patterson reported.

"Great. Thanks, Patterson. We'll be down shortly, Crane out," Lee responded. "Looks like we're ready roll, sir."

Harri nodded. "There's no time to waste, if what Chip saw is correct. We need a view of what's in that tube and then a way to make sure we eliminate the polyps and the parents. I just hope to hell there are only two adult jellyfish swimming around out there and this is they're only cache. Come on, Lee let's get moving. You relax and get better, Chip."

Nelson and Crane exited Sick Bay and made their way down to the missile room to check out the ROV and to collect the control box so they could maneuver the probe as needed.

Upon entering the missile room, Nelson made a beeline to the ROV to check the unit out and ensure it had everything on it he needed. He nodded in approval at what he saw. "Well done, Pat."

"Thank you, sir," Pat replied. "Here's the controller for the ROV. Everything is checked out and operational."

"Good. We're heading to the control room now. I'll give you a call when we're ready for you to deploy the unit."

"Aye, sir. We're ready to go the second you give the word."

Nelson and Crane both nodded and with controller in hand they headed out the hatch and up to the con.

(o1ooo

As they entered the control room, they walked immediately up to the windows so they could have a good view of the ROV's movements. Nelson inclined his head towards Lee indicating he should order the ROV deployed.

"Missile room, this is Crane."

"Missile room, aye," Patterson replied.

"Deploy the ROV." Crane ordered.

"Deploying ROV now. ROV in the water and ready for operation, Missile Room out."

Upon hearing the ROV was deployed, Nelson hit the switch directing the probe forward. Within a few seconds the small robot moved into view as it passed the windows. Lee turned on the monitor in the nose so they would be able to see exactly what the probe was recording.

Harri ran through a number of quick maneuvers ensuring everything was working properly then directed the ROV to the opening of the lava tube. As they drew near, they could clearly see the remains of the diver Chip had tried to recover. Everyone watching the screen, gave an involuntary shudder as they realized what that poor person had endured.

As the probe neared the tube opening, Nelson began having trouble maintaining position as the ROV encountered the current Chip had mentioned. He pushed the engine on the ROV to maximum and finally was able to make some headway into the tube. The tube was about twenty feet in diameter, just a hair too small to allow FS-1 to access. As the ROV spotlights illuminated the interior of the tube, Nelson and Crane audibly gasped at the number of polyps covering the floor and walls. Chip had characterized the scene perfectly comparing it to a giant tongue.

"Oh, my god," Harri finally remarked at the images being relayed back to Seaview. "Those things could let go at any moment, then we're totally screwed. I'm going to see if I can collect a few as a sample."

Lee nodded then switched his gaze from the screen to the area outside the tube. As yet there had been no sign of the adult jellyfish, which was both good and bad. Good that they weren't interfering with the probe, but it could be bad that with the immature polyps so close to letting go they could have moved on.

Nelson carefully maneuvered the ROV to the bottom of the tube and eased it forward towards the polyps. He nearly lost control of the device as it encountered a huge surge of water and it swayed and bucked against the force. After a few tense moments and the ebb of the current he was finally able to reposition the ROV and manipulate the arms to collect some of the polyps.

As the sample was secured, he let out a sigh of relief. He then ordered the probe deeper into the tube to try and get an idea of the extent of the polyp population. He'd gone nearly half a mile before the polyps finally disappeared from the walls.

Lee blew out a low whistle as he viewed the extent of the coverage. "That's a rather horrific sight. I kind of feel like we're looking at the scene from the movie _Aliens_ where they find themselves in the egg room and just hope to hell nothing hatches."

Harri nodded in complete agreement. He then turned the probe around and began navigating back towards the entrance. As the ROV neared the entrance to the tube, another massive surge of water rushed in from behind hurling the small probe forward at a rapid pace. Unable to compensate quickly enough, Harri lost control and the ROV was soon hopelessly tangled in a heap of rusting drums. He tried numerous maneuvers to clear the probe and control cables, but the jagged edges of the deteriorated drums seemed to dig in tighter with each attempt.

"Damn!" Nelson swore. To prevent damaging the probe further, he flipped the power switch off allowing the unit settle safely on the bottom.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Lee asked quietly.

"We need to get in there and eradicate everything in that tube before it hatches, but I don't think the ROV is going to be the right tool to accomplish that and FS-1 is just too big," Harri replied.

"My thoughts exactly, sir. I think the only way we can get that done, is to take FS-1to the front and then we're going to need to send divers in to destroy those polyps. My guess would be that laser rifles would be effective. An explosive charge wouldn't guarantee we kill them all and may just scatter them into the ocean."

Nelson stared at Lee for a moment considering his observations. "I'm forced to agree with you, son, although I don't like the thought of exposing divers to that danger."

"I think it can be done safely, sir," Lee offered. "I'd say four or five divers would be sufficient to ensure we completely cover the area. We could use sea sleds to pull us into the shaft to overcome the current and then put them on the bottom as anchors to keep us in place against the current, then work our way back to the entrance as we scour the tube walls with lasers. We could also add anti-shark chainmail over our suits to prevent anyone from ripping open their dry suit if they get knocked off their feet like Chip."

Nelson nodded in agreement as he listened to Lee's proposal. "That sounds to be about the only option I think we have. How close is FS-1 to being repaired?"

Lee looked back into the control room until he spotted Chief Sharkey. "Chief."

Sharkey responded immediately, walking forward to join the Skipper and Nelson. "Yes, sir."

"What's the status of FS-1? How close are they to being done?" Lee asked.

"They were just finishing up when I last checked. They were testing all the circuits to make sure everything was securely in place and operational. They should be done within the hour, sir," Sharkey answered.

"Get me an estimated time they'll be completed. Also, I need you to get someone on outfitting five divers. They'll need dry suits, sea scooters, laser rifles, and the chainmail anti-shark suits," Lee ordered.

"Whose going with you, sir?" Sharkey inquired.

"I'll be asking for volunteers on this one, Chief."

"I'll be your first, Captain," Sharkey offered.

Lee smiled. "Thanks, Chief, you're on the team. Now go get on those things I asked for."

"I'll be part of the dive team as well, Lee," Nelson said.

"Sir, I would really rather have you in FS-1 covering our backs. If momma and papa show up once live bait is in the water, we'll need both FS-1 and Seaview to keep them at bay or take them out."

"All right, son, I'll take that role," Harri said after a moment. Lee could easily tell he was not happy being left with FS-1 while the rest of the team went into the shaft.

Lee picked up the mic and clicked it alive. "Attention, this is the captain. We have discovered a huge clutch of jellyfish polyps at the point of detaching from the sea floor and becoming free swimming jellyfish. To prevent these things from totally ravaging the ocean around us I will be leading a team of five divers into the lava tube to conduct a search and destroy mission. I need three more divers to accompany me. This is a volunteer mission only. If you're interested in participating, contact me immediately. Captain out."

Immediately Kowalski called out. "Skipper, I volunteer."

Lee walked back to the sonar station. "Thanks, Ski, I was hoping you would."

"I'd like to as well," O'Brien said.

Lee stared at him a moment debating if he could spare the young officer from the con with Chip currently on the sidelines. After his rescue of Chip, he figured he owed him the opportunity to take this thing on. "All right, thank you, Bobby. That leaves one slot open." O'Brien smiled immediately.

Lee's attention was drawn forward as the deck hatch to FS-1 was pushed open and Riley's blond head popped up. "Skipper, I'd like to volunteer for the dive."

"Okay, you're on, Riley," Lee replied. He then picked up the mic on the periscope island. "This is the captain. I have all the volunteers I need, thanks for your support. Team members get with Chief Sharkey to get outfitted and be prepared to dive in three hours. Captain, out."

As Ski and Riley made their way aft, Lee touched Riley on the shoulder. "FS-1 going to go the distance this time?"

"Aye, sir. I guarantee it. I went over every single connection personally and she's in fighting form."

"Excellent. Now head on down to the missile room to get your gear. We meet in the nose in 90 minutes for the mission brief. O'Brien, let Sharkey know."

"Aye, sir," Bobby replied as he followed the two ratings out the hatch.

"You think it's a good idea letting O'Brien go out on this? I would think you'd want a more experienced man at the con," Nelson said quietly to Lee.

"I thought it over, and I think James will be able to handle this just fine. Worse comes to worst, Chip can be pressed into service if things get beyond his capability," Lee answered.

"You sure Jamie will allow that?"

"I think so. It gives Chip something to focus on instead of engineering an escape. In talking with Jamie last night, he indicated he would probably release Chip to his cabin today anyway. I'll run it by him to make sure he isn't totally bent out of shape, then get with Chip and Mike."

"I'll listen for the eruption," Harri replied then laughed. Lee scowled at him and joined in knowing Jamieson wouldn't be happy but would agree.

ooolo)


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Ninety minutes later the dive team assembled in the nose to receive the mission brief. As they claimed their seats around the conference table, Lee hit the button closing the crash doors giving them the needed privacy. Morton and James were also present so they knew what was going to occur.

"All right let's get started," Lee said, drawing the group's attention. "First off I want to thank those who volunteered, this could turn out to be a risky endeavor. There is a real possibility that one or more of those jellyfish that attacked me and Mr. Morton could show up in the course of our dive. It is therefore imperative that you keep a close eye on the environment around you and the group at all times. If this is something you don't want to take on, you can opt out and I'll select another volunteer." The assembled group nodded indicating they were all willing to accept the risks.

"Very well. Admiral, would you like to kick things off?"

Nelson rose from his seat and moved next to the monitor. He punched a button on the remote in his hand cueing the video they had collected earlier with the ROV. They all focused intently on the screen as the scene changed from outside the tube to the first footage of the inside. There were a few whoas and low whistles as the inside of the tube was illuminated displaying the dense pack of polyps on the floor and walls.

"Gentlemen, this is our objective. Each of the polyps you see in front of you potentially represents a fully-grown box jellyfish like the ones that have attacked our crew. We need to get in there and eradicate this cache of juveniles to prevent them from detaching from the tube walls and becoming free-swimmers laying waste to anything that swims and then reproducing. Captain Crane has advanced an interesting hypothesis that at some point the mutant jellyfish may have developed a parental protectiveness over their offspring and activity by living organisms in close proximity to their young may bring the adults back. I will be remaining with FS-1 to ensure that we have the fire power available to dispatch them should they return," Nelson explained. "Captain."

"Thank you, sir. We will be riding to the mouth of the tube in FS-1 to reduce the amount of time we would be exposed in a free swim from Seaview. Once there we will get in the water and utilize sea scooters to propel us into the tube. We estimate we will need to go in at least half a mile. The scooters are needed because there is one hell of a current ripping through there, which is what caught both Mr. Morton and our ROV and put them out of commission. We will then make the sleds negatively buoyant and use them as an anchor to keep us in position against the current."

"Once we get to the area where we first encounter the polyps, we will begin a systematic elimination of the polyps using the laser rifles. We will completely sweep the tube from top to bottom eradicating anything in our path. We can't afford to let one of those things past us. As the admiral said, he will be watching our backs along with Mr. James and Seaview when we're in the tube. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Do you think this is the only cache, sir?" Kowalski asked.

"There's no telling, but we're hoping that this is their first batch of offspring," Nelson replied. "Any other questions?" Those assembled shook their heads no.

"Thank you, sir. One item, if perchance you manage to tear through both the chainmail and your dry suit, you're done. Get out of the water immediately, especially while we're in the tube and there could potentially be juvenile jellyfish swimming around. Once your suit is breached you're at risk for jellyfish stings. Both Mr. Morton and I can vouch for how uncomfortable that experience is and I'll lay you odds that Dr. Jamieson would be less than understanding if you somehow manage to get stung," Lee finished up with a smile. "All right, everyone be geared up and ready to roll in one hour. Meet back here."

"Aye, sir," came the group response and everyone rose. Chip stood and opened the crash doors allowing the men to head out to get ready for the dive.

"So how you feeling, Chip?" Lee asked.

"Not too bad. The stings are a bit tender and are starting to itch, but I feel pretty much back to normal. Jamie said I'd probably tire easier than normal for a day or so given the damage to my red blood cells and the need to rebuild them, but other than that he calls my recovery miraculous," Chip replied. "If Mike needs assistance I'll be there to back him up."

"Good. Do you have any questions, Mike?" Lee asked.

"No, sir. I think I've got it all squared away. I'll make sure everyone is alert and ready to respond should those things show up. I've already talked with Patterson and he will be positioned on the laser and ready to fire as needed." LT James replied.

"I feel completely comfortable being out there with you as our backup. You have any questions, check with Chip."

"Aye, sir."

Lee gave him a pat on the back, then followed the admiral up the staircase to officer's country.

(o1ooo

Sixty minutes later the entire team stood assembled around the hatch to FS-1. Lee took a quick headcount and then indicated that they should head down into FS-1. It was proving quite crowded with that many men along with the air tanks and gear.

Nelson was already in FS-1 completing his pre-launch checklist as they filtered down. As Lee entered he pulled down the hatch and secured it then moved to the co-pilot seat. He looked around ensuring everyone was settled and ready for the launch.

"We're good to go whenever you're ready, sir," Lee said to Nelson.

Harri nodded then activated the throat mic. "Seaview, this is FS-1, we are ready to launch."

"Copy that, FS-1," LT James immediately replied. "You are cleared to launch. Releasing the docking ring."

FS-1 dropped gently from her cradle and quickly cleared Seaview. Once clear, Nelson nudged the controls and the little sub surged easily forward. "So far, so good," Nelson remarked. "Okay everyone hold on, I'm going to do a quick shakedown to make sure everything is operational."

Nelson completed a number of maneuvers testing the aspects of FS-1's operation that would be critical for this mission. Finding her response to every call spot on he smiled at Lee and gave him a nod. Harri then navigated the vessel about 10 yards from the tube opening.

"Seaview, we are ready to deploy the team. How do things look around us?"

"FS-1, the area around you is clear. We have lookouts at the windows, on every monitor giving us a 360-degree view, and Patterson is standing ready on the laser," James answered.

"Copy, Seaview. We are deploying now," Nelson replied.

At that point the team members stood up and assisted each other in donning their tanks, turning on the air, and ensuring that they had all the equipment they needed. Lee quickly reviewed his team and got an okay sign from each man.

"We're ready to go, sir," Lee informed Nelson. He then donned his fins and helmet and dropped into the water. Once clear of the moon pool he was quickly followed by the rest of his team. They all rapidly surveyed the area around them making sure nothing was lurking about.

The ocean around them had an eerie, unnatural feel given the absence of fish, the collection of pellets littering the ocean floor, and the sea of corroded and deteriorating drums splayed out all around them. Certain that they were currently safe, they began unfastening their sea scooters from FS-1 in preparation for their entry into the tube. When everyone had their scooter, Lee made eye contact with each man making sure they were prepared to go.

"Okay, let's get going. We'll enter single file and I've got point. Keep your eyes open. Try not to disturb the polyps as we enter, we don't need to knock anything loose before we can make sure their dead. Any questions?" Each man shook his head no. "Admiral, we're on our way now."

"Copy that Lee," Nelson replied, already keyed into the dive channel. "Seaview, did you copy that transmission?"

"FS-1 we copy. Good luck, Skipper."

Lee flipped the switch on his scooter and the electric motor engaged pulling him through the water towards the tube. The rest of the team followed his lead. They continuously scanned the area around them as if their heads were on swivels looking for any sign of the doting parents. They quickly crossed the distance from FS-1 to the tube and then halted just outside.

At the base of the tube was the gruesome reminder of what that thing was capable of as they stopped by the diver's remains. Lee carefully worked his scooter through the opening negotiating his way over the mound of drums and fighting the surging current that ripped through the tube. Once safely inside he reactivated the motor and moved out of the way of the opening. The view inside was even more daunting than the image displayed by the ROV. The polyps were everywhere and Lee fought off the vision of them suddenly popping off the walls and floor and enveloping them in a living blanket of starved jellyfish.

Once fully inside and having determined it was relatively safe, he called the rest of his team in. As each man entered Lee could easily recognize their immediate discomfort with the tube as they waited for Sharkey to bring up the rear.

"Everyone okay?" Lee asked his team, and received four okay signs and nods as they tried to maintain position against the current. "Good. Based on the ROV we've got about a half mile of this stuff before we run out. Keep your position in the middle of the tube and don't touch anything. I've got point, so follow me. Did you copy, Admiral?"

"Copy loud and clear. So far nothing has come calling. Take what time you need to make sure you do a thorough job," Nelson replied.

"Copy that, sir," Lee responded. He then hit the accelerator on his scooter and moved forward down the tube followed closely by the rest of the team. Fifteen minutes later they reached the end of the dense pack of polyps garnering a sigh from them all.

Lee chuckled. "Amen to that. Kowalski, follow me, we'll check further ahead just to make sure there's not another cache. The rest of you, check your gear and make sure you're ready to start operations when we get back."

"Gotcha, Skipper," Bobby replied.

Lee and Ski moved forward another 200 yards and were relieved not to find a single polyp in sight. Lee flashed the okay sign and gained a big smile from Ski. They turned around and rode the current back to the others.

"This looks to be the extent of the cache. Let's get started, we're going to systematically scour every inch of surface area in this tube. All right, make sure your tethers are secured to your scooter and send them to the bottom. On my signal begin scouring the walls," Lee ordered. Each man rapidly complied. "Admiral, we are ready to begin. If anything is going to pop up, I would think it should arrive once we start our work in here."

"Copy that, Lee, we'll be on high alert," Nelson replied.

"Check your gauges, does everyone have sufficient air?" Lee inquired. They all nodded. "I think this shouldn't take more than an hour, so we should be covered. When you reach 500 psi, call out and we'll compare air levels and if we aren't done the two with the lowest levels will return to FS-1. Okay let's get to it."

Lee flipped on his laser and began clearing a section of wall. As soon as the laser beam hit a polyp it popped eliciting a smile from Lee at the effectiveness of their chosen cleaning tool. He nodded to his men and then quickly they began clearing sections of the tube from top to bottom.

While the dive team moved into the tube and began their task, Nelson moved FS-1 into position to retrieve the ROV. Using the arms, he picked up the small unit and then directed Seaview to power up the machine. The little probe dutifully answered the call and was then maneuvered safely back to Seaview for collection. That completed, he began taking water samples from around FS-1 to better identify what compounds were present. After completing samples in his current location, he moved the sub to another area where the drums indicated another chemical was present. He was never out of sight of the tube and could be there immediately if the divers needed assistance or recovery.

ooolo)

LT James and the crew on Seaview kept a weathered eye on the area around them. His attention was suddenly drawn from the view from the window by a remark from one of the control room crew.

"Damn! Where the hell did they come from?" Rodriguez said, viewing the image on his monitor. "Mr. James, we have three bogies coming down fast from the surface heading for FS-1!"

Mike looked up and over at FS-1 and swore under his breath. "Patterson, take aim and fire!"

"Aye, sir," Pat confirmed then locked in on the lead jellyfish and fired the laser.

The animal visibly jerked as the high-energy beam tore through its flesh. It tried valiantly to avoid the beam but had already been too damaged to make a hasty retreat, and Patterson maintained a constant bead on it systematically cutting it apart until it was dead.

The other two animals reacted immediately to the dismemberment of their companion. The second jellyfish put on a surge of speed and powered down towards the seafloor and FS-1. The third jellyfish changed direction and jetted directly towards the opening to the lava tube and the Seaview dive team.

"FS-1 this is Seaview," James hailed. "Admiral there's a jellyfish closing rapidly in on your location. Do you copy?!"

Harri was up out of his seat retrieving the set of samples he'd just collected and placing them in a storage container when the call came in. He quickly set down the container and as he was just about to activate the throat mic, FS-1 was rocked violently as the jellyfish slammed into the little sub fully encapsulating it and sending it to the bottom. Caught unprepared for the jolt, Nelson was flung forward connecting solidly head first with the pilot's chair knocking himself unconscious. He sagged to the floor and rolled forward into the bases of the flight control seats.

Those on-board Seaview stared in horror and shock as the jellyfish enveloped FS-1. After a moment, it rose up slowly from the seafloor pulling FS-1 with it as the feeder arms moved the sub into its gigantic gut.

"Patterson, nail that thing," James ordered.

"Aye, sir." Pat sent a shot into the animal's side, trying to avoid the sub it held inside. The jellyfish jerked violently shaking FS-1 and its occupant unmercifully.

"Hold your fire," Mike ordered. He brought the mic up to his mouth. "Admiral, do you hear me? What is your condition?" They all stood quietly awaiting Nelson's response but only silence prevailed.

"Repeat, Admiral this is Seaview, do you read me? What is your condition?" As the silence stretched out Mike swallowed hard fearing for Nelson's safety. He looked at Patterson and they exchanged looks. "Try another shot, Pat. Let's see if we can get it to drop FS-1."

"Aye, sir," Pat replied. He aimed carefully more towards the center and let loose another round. Again, the animal jerked and seemed to clamp down more firmly around the sub.

"Cease fire," James ordered. "See if you can get a bead on the other one and dispatch it before our dive team tries to come out." Patterson nodded his acknowledgement and switched his sights lining up on the jellyfish lurking outside lava tube opening. He depressed the trigger and caught the animal broadside. The animal jerked then surged up and out of the way before Pat could take a second shot.

They all watched as Patterson tried desperately to get a lock on the other animal, but it was moving faster than he was able to lock on. James drew a hand over his face and let out a frustrated sigh. He needed another opinion on how to go after those things without destroying FS-1 or losing the dive team. He quickly double clicked the mic. "Mr. Morton, report to the control room immediately."

(o1ooo


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

As the battle raged outside the tube, the dive team finished up with their task of eradicating the jellyfish polyps inside. They had less than 50 feet to go when Sharkey called out. "Skipper, I'm down to 500 psi."

"Okay, Sharkey. Everyone check your gauges and sound off," Crane ordered.

"I have 650," O'Brien replied.

"600 here, Skipper," Riley called out.

"750 for me, sir," added Kowalski.

"I've got 800," responded Crane. "Okay, Sharkey, Riley, you two pair up and be ready to return to FS-1. FS-1 this is the dive team." Crane's hail was met with silence. They all exchanged looks of concern.

"FS-1 this is Crane, do you read me?" After nearly a minute, Lee switched to the other channel. "Seaview this is Crane, do you read me?"

"Skipper this is Seaview, we read you. What is your condition?" James replied instantly.

"Seaview, we've just about completed our job. I've got one diver at 500 pounds of air and ready to return to FS-1. I've attempted to raise FS-1 but don't get a response. What's happening?"

"We had three jellyfish drop in on us out of nowhere. We have dispatched one, but the second currently has FS-1 enveloped inside its body and the third one is flashing back and forth in front of the tube. We have been unable to raise FS-1 as well, and shots made to that jellyfish result in the sub being violently shaken when the animal reacts. The other fish is moving so fast Patterson is having difficulty getting a solid lock on it and killing it."

"Damn," Lee swore. He considered the information just given him and began formulating possible responses to get his team and FS-1 out of danger. "Okay, Mike, here's what we're going to do. We will complete our cleanup of the inside of the tube to ensure we have nothing else coming at us. I want you to bring Seaview in directly over the opening to the lava tube. Once you're in position, we'll lay down suppressing fire and allow Sharkey and Riley to make it back on board through the moon pool. Keep Patterson on the laser as well and hopefully we'll distract it enough that he can get a solid shot."

"Copy that, Skipper. Then what?" James asked.

"Where's FS-1 right now?"

"She's about 75 yards due south of your position. The jellyfish is hovering approximately 50 feet above the bottom with FS-1 suspended inside the medusa."

"Once the divers are aboard, the rest of us will come up and hang just below the hull below the nose, at which point you move Seaview in over the jellyfish. We will drop down and move along the outside of the bell, then skirt underneath and hopefully come up under FS-1 and gain access," Crane explained.

"Lee that's suicide," Chip cut in. "There's no way you're going to be able to get in there without being attacked."

"I'm kind of counting on that, Chip," Lee replied. The looks of surprise on the team member's faces was blatant. "If we play it right, the feeder arms will try and move us inside as just another snack. Once we start in that direction, we'll cut loose on the arms with our knives and then high tail it into the moon pool. The suits will give us enough protection to get us inside before the digestive juices can start to work."

"I don't know if we can contain that jellyfish by hanging over it, Skipper. They're proving very elusive and wary of us," James interjected.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Lee replied. "I can't come up with any other solution, can you?"

There was a moment of silence as James and Morton discussed what the captain wanted done. They unfortunately were unable to come up with anything else besides blasting the animal and run the risk of severely damaging FS-1 and the admiral.

"Okay, Skipper we're a go. I'm moving Seaview directly over your position now," Mike responded. "Do you want to exchange tanks?"

"Copy that, Seaview. No, I think the three of us have enough air to get to FS-1 and I don't want to give those things any more time to come at us than possible," Lee answered. "We will finish up our work and be ready in 10 minutes. Sharkey, Riley, you two lay back and conserve your air."

"Aye, Skipper," Sharkey replied, then he and Riley moved back behind the other team members as they finished blasting the polyps.

Once done ridding the tunnel of jellyfish, Lee changed his aim to the drums in the front of the tube. He focused on two in the center cutting them to pieces, sufficiently clearing the area for a faster exit. "Everyone ready to roll?" His team shot him okay signs. He nodded then cautiously moved forward exiting the cave.

As he came out he immediately spotted Seaview overhead and the entrance to the moon pool was almost even with the tube opening. Lee smiled and waved Riley and Sharkey forward. "Hell of a parking job, Mr. James," Lee said. "Only thing we're missing is an elevator to take us up."

Mike blushed slightly and smiled at his skipper's words. "Thank you, sir. We aim to please."

"All right, Sharkey you're up first. Everyone else fan out around the opening and keep your eyes open for that jelly. If you spot it, sing out and open fire," Lee ordered. "Seaview, Sharkey's making his run now, be ready for a fast recovery."

"Copy that Skipper, we're ready." James responded.

"Go, Sharkey," Lee said and patted him on the back.

Sharkey nodded then exited the tunnel opening and began his assent towards Seaview's moon pool. As he reached the midway point, Kowalski yelled and directed everyone's attention to the right as a huge mass accelerated towards the lone diver. Immediately the divers opened fire with their laser rifles, slicing away at the approaching animal.

Sharkey also put on a burst of speed kicking as hard as he could to make it safely to the glowing halo of light emitted from the moon pool above. The jellyfish jerked and jigged as the laser blasts tore at its flesh then seemed to surge ahead in an attempt to clear the area and avoid the laser beams. As it flew by, the top of its massive bell brushed Sharkey's fins as it passed knocking the man for a loop as he was caught in the jellyfish's wake.

Once he quit tumbling, he righted himself and quickly located the moon pool light. He kicked for all he was worth hoping to make it into the ring before that thing could turn around and make another run. As his head popped up in the pool he was immediately grabbed and hauled onto the deck by the waiting recovery crew. As they sat him on the deck, the ratings could clearly see how wide Sharkey's eyes were and that he was at the point of hyperventilating. Jackson quickly unlocked and removed his helmet at which time Sharkey released a relieved sigh.

"Welcome aboard, Chief," Morton said with a brief smile. "Rough trip?"

Sharkey shook his head and gave the XO a wan smile. "Thanks, and yes that was more excitement than I wanted for today."

"You okay, Chief?" Morton asked.

"I'm fine, just a bit shook up after that thing sideswiped me. I didn't think I could move that fast," he responded with a chuckle.

"Mr. Morton, the skipper wants to know if the chief made it aboard okay," James said over the intercom.

Chip stood up and grabbed the mic on the wall. "Let the skipper know the chief is fine. He's a bit shaken but not stirred."

"Copy, sir," James answered with a laugh. After a moment, having passed on the information to Crane, he continued. "Are you ready to receive Riley?"

"We're ready whenever he is," Chip replied.

"Copy, that. He's now on his way," James informed them.

ooolo)

The divers watched in horror as the jellyfish made a beeline for Sharkey. Each shot that hit the animal made it twitch and jerk hopefully deterring it from attacking the man swimming toward the sub. As their shots began to have a more cumulative effect on the organism, as tentacles and portions of its body were sliced away, it seemed to gathers its strength and made a massive push to get clear of the area. They gasped in concern as the bell brushed Sharkey's feet sending him spinning out of control away from the moon pool entrance.

They moved out of the tube and fixed their sights on the receding creature hoping to keep it from turning around and taking another run at the chief. Once Sharkey righted himself, he quickly made it to the safety of the moon pool which elicited a huge sigh of relief from the divers below.

"Seaview, this is Crane. Is Sharkey okay?"

"Skipper this is Seaview, I'll check on that, sir. Hold one," James answered. "Skipper, Mr. Morton informs me he's a bit shaken but not stirred."

Lee and the rest of the team chuckled in relief. "Good to hear. Where's that jellyfish now?"

"From what we can tell, it hightailed it out of here, sir. It just kept heading north after its run in with the chief."

"That's good to hear. Are you ready for the next diver?"

A moment of silence passed before James replied. "They're ready whenever you are, sir."

Lee scanned the area looking for any sign of the jellyfish. Not spotting it lurking around, he made eye contact with Riley. "You ready to go for it?"

"Aye, sir," Riley replied.

Lee nodded. "Seaview, Riley is on his way now." With that he patted the young man on the back as he passed by and made his dash for the sub. This time nothing came out to greet him. They had apparently driven the damn thing off for the time being.

"Skipper, Riley is safely aboard," James reported.

"Excellent," Crane replied. He then grabbed his gauge and looked at how much air remained in his tank. He was down to 650 pounds. Kowalski and O'Brien followed the captain's lead and checked their gauges as well.

"I have just over 500," Kowalski reported.

"I have 480," O'Brien added.

Lee nodded. "Bobby, I want you to return to Seaview, I don't want to chance you running out of air."

"I can make it, sir," Bobby replied. Lee nodded his agreement after a moment realizing he might need that third set of hands to get FS-1 out of trouble.

"Seaview, what's the status of that other jellyfish and FS-1?" Crane inquired.

"We are still unable to raise the admiral. It's holding position. There hasn't been any overt activity from either the jelly or FS-1. We may have injured it enough it really can't move, or it's seriously working on trying to digest FS-1," James reported.

"All right, we've got our sea scooters and will move up under Seaview. On my mark, start your move."

"Copy that, Skipper." James replied.

Lee disconnected himself from his scooter and returned it to a buoyant mode. Kowalski and O'Brien completed the same actions and then gave Crane the okay sign when they were ready. "Okay Seaview, let's go."

Lee pushed off from the bottom and engaged the motor on his scooter. He rose quickly and hovered just below the FS-1 bay doors. Bobby and Ski flanked him on either side. Seaview began moving slowly and smoothly over to the motionless jellyfish and then halted just above the large bell.

"All stop, Mike," Lee called. "Hold this position. If that thing takes off before we get in, continue pursuit at all cost. We'll surface and await your return."

"Copy that, Skipper." James responded tersely, the stress of the situation very evident in his voice.

"Bobby, Ski, here's what we're going to do, we'll slide down the bell and then duck in under the lip and head for FS-1. Keep an eye out for the feeder arms, if we're detected they will most likely react to grab us and funnel us to the mouth. Don't fight it until we get inside. Get your dive knives out and in hand since that will be the best way to get free without causing the animal to jerk like it does from a laser shot." They both nodded then reached down and pulled the knife out of the sheath attached to their calves.

With dive knife in hand, Lee dropped his sea scooter and watched it roll off the medusa and fall unmolested to the sea floor. The other two released their scooters as well and watched them sink quickly to the bottom. Lee looked at each man gauging their readiness and got confirming nods.

"Okay, here we go. Watch your breathing," Lee admonished. "Seaview we're making our run, stand ready to react."

"We've got you covered, sir." James answered.

(o1ooo

Lee took point, easing his way down the large box shaped medusa of the jellyfish. As he moved he felt the animal shiver slightly at the movement along its bell. He continued down until he reached the bottom of the bell then looked back checking the location of the rest of his team. Both Ski and O'Brien we right behind him. Once they joined him at the edge, Lee ducked underneath and started swimming towards FS-1.

Suddenly one of the arms reacted and grasped him securely around the head and shoulders. Lee fought the urge to panic and tried as best he could to relax and not resist, playing dead. The last thing he needed was for the thing to ratchet down its grip any tighter as it would to subdue a struggling prey. The arm continued to retract and started forcing him upwards. With the arm around his head he was blind to his location other than being able to see his bubbles rise and notice his was rising with them.

Ski and Bobby immediately followed after their captain, hovering closely behind the arm trying not to be caught up as well. As the arm neared the center of the jellyfish, a large orifice opened up and the skipper was shoved into the waiting maw then released from its grip. Both men put on a burst of speed and entered with the captain.

Once free of the arm, Lee shook his head and spun around trying to orient himself to his new location. It felt like swimming through jelly as he worked his way through the internal animal. He immediately spotted FS-1 directly above then looked around and located O'Brien and Ski and waved them forward.

"You okay, Skipper," Ski asked anxiously.

"Yeah, Ski, I'm fine. That was an interesting ride, second only to my first dive from Seaview and the squid thing I met there," Lee answered, then smiled. "You two okay?"

"Yes, sir," Bobby replied. "We just tailgated in with you."

"Good deal. Come on gents let's get up into FS-1 before this stuff starts eating through our suits," Lee ordered, then began swimming upwards towards the little yellow sub.

Reaching FS-1, Lee pushed forward into the moon pool and ran into immediate resistance. He pushed as hard as he could but something was blocking the hatch from opening. He had a sinking feeling he knew what that something was.

"Bobby, Ski, get up here and help me with this hatch, something's blocking it."

Once they were all there, they shoved hard against the door and finally whatever was holding it down shifted and the deck plate gave way. Lee quickly surfaced and climbed out onto the deck. He reached down and grabbed O'Brien and pulled him in then assisted Kowalski. They rapidly divested themselves of their helmets and tanks.

Lee's worst fear was realized as he spotted the admiral lying motionless beneath the deck plate and pilot's chair. He quickly pushed the plate back in place then gently rested his fingers against the admiral's neck, feeling for a pulse. He sighed in relief as he found a strong beat beneath his finger.

Ski joined the skipper and as a reserve medic, conducted a quick examination of the admiral looking for any signs of neck or back injuries. Finding none, and with the aid of the captain they gently rolled him onto his back at which point they all gasped. He had a wicked gash across his forehead and his face and upper chest was covered in blood. His face was also bruised and his left eye was nearly swollen shut.

"He's got one hell of a concussion, Skipper. Looks like that thing tossed him around quite a bit when Seaview was taking pot shots at it." Kowalski reported.

"That's got to be what happened. Can we move him to the bunk?" Lee asked.

"I think that would be best, then we can secure him in case that thing starts jerking around again."

As Crane and Kowalski concentrated on the admiral, O'Brien had moved to the co-pilot seat and was rapidly ascertaining FS-1's condition. All systems were showing fully operational when there was a sudden alarm indicating an impending hull breach.

"What's up, Bobby?" Lee inquired.

"Sir, I think that thing has just about eaten through the hull. I've got an outer hull breach alarm," O'Brien reported.

"What? That's impossible, this is made out of titanium," Lee replied as he quickly claimed the pilot's seat and began perusing the gages. "Damn, what the hell does that thing have in its gut?"

Lee placed the throat mic around his neck and activated it. "Seaview, this is FS-1, do you read me?"

"We read you loud and clear, Skipper," James answered immediately.

"Seaview, we have an imminent hull breach warning. That damn thing has already eaten through the outer hull and is making its way through the inner. We are powering up now and will try to work our way out. If that doesn't work stand by the laser, we may need you to cut us out."

"Aye, sir. Just be aware sir, it looked like that thing really gave FS-1 a rough ride last time we tried that," James replied.

"Copy that. I think that's what happened to the admiral. Put Sick Bay on alert, the admiral has been seriously injured. He is currently unconscious and unresponsive, probable concussion, deep cuts and lots of bruises." Lee acknowledged.

"Copy that, sir. We're standing by upon your order."

"All right, everyone get belted in," Lee said as he pushed the controls forward accelerating the sub. FS-1 lurched forward then stopped seemingly like a fly in amber. He upped the power, the engines whined but were producing very little in the way of propulsion. He next tried turning from side to side but still found no traction. "Damn!" he swore as he pulled back on the controls.

"Bobby fire up the laser, see if you can cut us out," Lee ordered.

Bobby immediately charged the laser and then fired. The beam easily cut a small hole through the animal but that resulted in a horrific reaction as the jellyfish jerked and dove at the pain caused by the beam. FS-1 was violently shaken hard as the animal moved and the men inside held on for dear life even though securely belted in.

As the motion came to a stop, Lee looked quickly around the sub. "Is everyone okay?" he inquired. "Ski how's the admiral?"

"I'm okay, Skipper," Bobby replied.

"I'm fine too, sir. I got the admiral secured really well so I think he came through it okay. From what I can tell he didn't move," Ski answered.

"I don't think I want to go through that again if we don't have to. I think Seaview's beam would be even worse. It may get a little hot in here, but I'm going to try throwing a charge through the hull."

Just then the hull breach alarm went off again. They watched in horror as a tendril of ooze dropped down from the ceiling of FS-1 and pooled on the deck. The liquid quickly began eating away at the softer deck plating. Ski jumped up from his seat, moved to one of the lockers and pulled out a plug set. Bobby got up as well and assisted him in placing the plug in the hole stopping the leak momentarily.

"Damn," Lee swore. "That's the last thing we needed. FS-1 to Seaview."

"Seaview, here," James replied

"Seaview, we've just had a hull breach and gastric fluid leaked into the sub. We've temporarily patched the hole. I'm going to send a charge through the hull and see if I can get the thing to spit us out. If it does, lay into it with lasers at full strength or if all else fails take them out with a torpedo on remote destruct."

"Copy, Skipper. What if it doesn't let you go?" James asked.

"Then start cutting away at it with the laser, and make sure you take it out so it can't reproduce. Get the stinging tentacles as well, so it can't hunt. Hopefully we can ride out the reaction without too much damage," Crane responded. "Okay, Seaview I'm throwing the charge through the hull now."

Lee quickly eyed his team making sure they were back in their seats and anything that could go flying had been stowed. They each silently nodded indicating they were ready. "Here goes."

He flipped the switch and the lights dimmed within the cabin as the power from the reactor was channeled into the surrounding structure. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen then suddenly the animal began to react violently as the powerful charge radiated through its flesh cooking it from the inside out. It gyrated wildly, as it pitched forward and back trying desperately to rid itself of the burning object in its gut.

As the jellyfish reacted, the men inside held on desperately as FS-1 was shaken and spun about. Given the excessive stress put on the hull of the little sub, the temporary patch gave way and gastric fluids began seeping through the ceiling once again.

"Skipper!" Ski cried out, drawing Crane's attention to the increased flow of liquid into the cabin.

Lee released his death grip on his seat and toggled the throat mic on. "Seaview, hit it with your laser! We're about to lose hull integrity and have no way to stop the flow until that thing lets go or is dead."

"Copy FS-1," James replied tersely. "Patterson, open fire. Try not to hit FS-1, she's got hull damage."

"Aye, sir," Pat answered and took deliberate aim at the huge mass jigging like a lure on a fishing line in front of him. He had a tough time getting a lock it was moving so much. After a moment, he finally was able to get his crosshairs on the upper part of the bell and fired. The thing lurched down trying to avoid the beam, but the between the attacks both internally and externally it was unable to escape. Pat continued to slice away at it until it suddenly ruptured shooting its innards in all directions. Now freed of the animal's gut, FS-1 dropped to the seafloor.

"FS-1 do you read me? What is your status? Repeat, what is your status?" James called out as he watched the yellow sub sink to the bottom.

(o1ooo

As FS-1 settled heavily on the bottom, there were groans of both pain and relief now that everything had come to a halt. The cabin was dark as the main panel had shorted out and there was a distinct odor of chemicals and dissolving metal along with a hazy cloud of smoke up near the ceiling.

Lee took a quick inventory of himself trying to identify any significant injuries. He had a wicked gash to his forehead from meeting up with the control panel to his left but otherwise felt uninjured. He reached down and unbuckled his harness then grabbed the emergency flashlight under the seat. He flipped it on and shined it quickly around the cabin to check on the condition of his crew and integrity of his vessel.

Ski and O'Brien were currently unconscious having also met up with parts of the sub, but luckily both looked to be coming around. He then shined his light on Harri and he appeared to not have sustained any additional injuries from their wild ride. He next directed his beam up to the ceiling and the hole sending a fine spray of seawater into the cabin.

He pushed up slowly from his seat and moved to the locker to pull out the patch kit once more. He pulled out an additional plug and placed it in the hole stopping the spray. Once that was stopped he released a relieved sigh as the patch held and not necessitating an emergency exit from the boat.

Next he tried to activate that throat mic, but wasn't overly surprised when he found the radio on FS-1 dead. He grabbed his dive helmet, pulled it on then activated the radio. "Seaview, this is FS-1, do you read me?"

"FS-1, this is Seaview," the relieved voice of LT James answered. "What is your status, Skipper?"

"We're pretty shaken up. O'Brien and Kowalski are unconscious but showing signs of waking, and the admiral is still out. Most systems onboard are out, having overloaded when we charged the hull, there is a breach to both hulls and I have placed another patch to stop the leak. Seaview, are you able to rescue us with the recovery clamp or are we mixed in amongst the barrels?"

"You're actually located in an open area and we can lock on. Commander Morton is initiating recovery operations now. You should be hearing the clamp touch down in a few seconds."

Lee smiled and chuckled. "Finally, a break. What's the status of the jellyfish?"

"It's completely destroyed, sir. Between what you were throwing at it inside and what we added outside it just kind of popped. We did lose sight of the second one and it swam off in a northerly direction. It also was pretty badly injured so hopefully it will be enough for it to die, in time."

"Tell Patterson, great shooting," Lee replied. Just then he heard the bang of the retrieval clamp making contact with the sub. Lee blew out a sigh of relief. "Give us a nice gentle ride up, if you please. I don't think we or FS-1 can take much more."

"You got it, Lee," Chip chimed in as he activated the winches and gently lifted the sub from the ocean floor. "Hold on, we'll have you aboard in less than a minute."

"Thanks, Chip, believe me we appreciate it."

True to his word, FS-1 was securely docked with in her bay in less than a minute. Once the process was complete the aft and top hatches were immediately opened and Jamieson and his staff swarmed in. He walked directly to the admiral and began his assessment while his corpsmen checked out O'Brien and Kowalski.

As the injured men were carried out Jamie moved over to Lee to give him the once over. "Nasty cut you have there," Jamieson said as he pulled out a wad of gauze and wiped the blood away. After scrutinizing the cut, he placed a couple butterfly bandages pulling the wound edges together and a bigger bandage to absorb any blood gently over the cut. "Did you lose consciousness? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No, not that I'm aware of," Lee answered honestly. "How are the others?"

"Harri's got what appears to be a moderate to severe concussion and O'Brien's and Ski's are relatively minor. I think they're just exhausted from all you've been through. How are you feeling?"

"Tired, sore. It was one hell of a ride," Lee replied.

"Well you need to come down to Sick Bay to get a couple stitches in your forehead," Jamieson directed as he looked into his CO's eyes for any signs of a concussion. "Once you've checked in with James, I'll expect you there."

"I'll be there, you can count on it," Lee responded. He needed to check on the condition of his men and his father. He then climbed up the ladder into the control room.

"Welcome back, sir," Mike said as soon as Lee was on deck.

"Thank you, Mr. James. Well done, you and the crew did an excellent job getting us out of there," Lee replied.

"Nice to have you back in one piece, Skipper," Chip said as he moved forward, then patted him on the back.

"Believe me it's nice to be back and the one piece was very much in limbo as we played with your friend out there," Lee answered. "So, you said the other one got away?"

"Yes, sir. But I think we did quite a number on it before it got out of range. Pat was able to shear off all of the stinging tentacles from what we could see, so it will have difficulty hunting game large enough to keep it fed. He also got some good shots to the bell," James reported.

"Good shooting, Pat," Lee called out across the control room. Patterson nodded, smiled and gave the Skipper a quick salute. "I'm very much impressed with your work too, Mr. James. I'm pleased you retained command throughout the entire mission."

"Thank you, sir," Mike replied unable to hide the blush of embarrassment at the captain's praise.

"I completely agree with that, Lee," Chip chimed in. "He was the man behind the operation and responded appropriately at every turn." Chip patted him heartily on the back.

"Looks like we can start kicking back a little more then, wouldn't you say Mr. Morton?" Lee replied.

"I think I can sleep pretty soundly at night," Chip answered then laughed.

"You look beat Mike and ready for a break. You up to a shift in the control room, Chip?"

"Aye, sir. I'm at 100% as far as I'm concerned," Chip replied with a smile. "Everything has healed up and I've been feeling like a spare tire waiting for Mike here to get tired of command."

"Very well, execute the change of command. I'm heading down to Sick Bay to check on everyone and to keep Jamie from sending out a patrol to collect me. If anything pops up, let me know."

"Yes, sir," James replied. "Mr. Morton, you have the con."

ooolo)

After a brief stop at his cabin to change out of his dive suit and take a quick shower, Lee headed down to Sick Bay to check in on his men. As he entered he smiled at seeing Bobby and Ski both sitting up in bed.

"Bobby, Ski, looks like you're doing okay," Lee said as he walked back to the bunk room.

"Hi Skipper," O'Brien responded. "Yes, sir. Doc says we'll be out of here tomorrow morning barring any complications. Just a couple of minor concussions."

"That's great to hear. I want to thank you both for an excellent job. There's no way I could have carried that out by myself."

"You're welcome, Skipper," Ski replied. "I was glad I could help."

Lee patted them both on the shoulder then moved to the bunk where Harri was laying still unconscious. He watched him a moment very much concerned that he had yet to regain consciousness. "Come on back, sir, you're safe on board, now," he said quietly and squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"Ah, you did come back of your own volition," Jamie said as he walked up behind Lee.

"How is he?" Lee asked, not taking his eyes off the man in the bunk.

"He's got one hell of a concussion, a couple of cracked ribs, and a wide array of bruises covering most of his body. He was bouncing around the inside of FS-1 like a BB in a boxcar when that thing was under attack. He should be just fine though, Lee; don't worry. If he isn't awake by tomorrow we'll get concerned then," Jamieson reported. "Now, I want to take a look at your head and stitch you up a bit."

Lee nodded absently as he continued to look down at his father. After a moment, he turned and followed Jamieson into the exam room and plopped down on the gurney. Having washed his hands, Jamieson claimed a suture kit, a syringe and local anesthetic from the cabinet and placed them on the rolling tray next to the gurney.

"Okay, let's take a look at things," Will said, as he gently peeled the bandage off Lee's forehead. He furrowed his brow as he regarded the laceration and the degree to which it had already begun to heal. The bruise had already turned from black and blue to a yellow-green and the edges of the cut looked to already be knitting back together.

Lee regarded the expression the doctor's face and became somewhat concerned as he continued to stare at him then gently brushed his finger over his wound. "Something wrong?"

Will shook his head. "No, nothing's really wrong, it's just that you're still healing at a highly-accelerated rate. The butterfly bandages were all you really needed to keep the edges of the wound together to start the healing process." He peeled off the butterflies and replaced them with clean ones. He then walked over to his desk and picked up his BP cuff and stethoscope and returned to the gurney. "Take your shirt off, please."

"Why? I thought you said everything was okay," Lee replied.

"I just want to give you a once over and get a set of vitals. This is so beyond normal, I want to track what's happening, and determine if there might be any undesirable side effects because of the changes you've gone through," Jamie answered. He watched Lee's face begin to cloud at the request. "Please Lee, work with me on this. This could drastically impact how I treat you in the future. I need to understand what is happening to you and how to adjust my treatments to augment and not counter what your body is doing."

Lee released a frustrated sigh, then began unbuttoning his shirt. "I suppose you want blood too," he sniped.

Will laughed. "No, I think we took enough of that earlier." He conducted his exam and just shook his head. "Perfect, text book perfect. You're healthy as a horse."

Lee smiled and began pulling on his shirt. "Then I'm free to go, yes?"

"Yes, for now," Jamie replied then winked. "Regardless of your condition, you need to eat something and get some rest. I'll call you as soon as the admiral wakes, until then your banished to your cabin for the next eight hours."

Lee scowled then nodded. He really had wanted to conduct a walk-a-boat but Jamieson had just put a stop to that. "Care to join me for dinner?"

"That sounds like a plan. Let me get things turned over to Frank and I'll be right there."

(o1ooo


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

It was shortly after 0600 when Lee exited his cabin and made a quick stop in the control room to check their status. As expected all systems were green, but the weather above had become bad with rain, high winds and high seas. It was at times like this, Lee truly appreciated being on a sub and missing all the thrashing about in heavy weather. Satisfied that all was well he headed on down to Sick Bay. As he entered, he was dismayed to see Harri now lying on the gurney in the exam room with multiple monitors attached to his body providing a constant readout of his vital signs.

"What happened, Will?" Lee asked, his deep concern evident in his voice.

"He started bleeding into the brain about two hours ago, there's a significant buildup of pressure on his brain and unless I can get it controlled, I'm going to have to cut a hole in his skull to relieve it."

"I thought you said he was going to be okay. Has he woken up at all?"

"Apparently, his injuries were more significant than I expected. Symptoms of major brain trauma can occur anywhere from hours to days after the injury occurs. I don't have a CAT scanner on board so I wasn't able to run a scan to gain a better view of his brain and any damage he incurred. As far as waking up, I've got him in a drug induced coma to limit the demands the brain makes on the body, along with diuretics to purge fluid from his system," Jamieson explained.

"Is he in danger of dying?" Lee inquired, now very concerned about his father's condition.

Jamie looked at Lee for a moment considering his answer. "It's a very remote possibility that he could die, I have the drugs and surgical equipment on board to address the bleeding and increase in pressure. The major concern is permanent damage to his brain," he explained. "He's responded positively to the drugs so far and I've inserted a probe in his skull to monitor the pressure in his cranium so we can react as needed."

"Damn," Lee said quietly. "So, all we get to do is watch and wait."

"We aren't without tools, Lee. I'm being as proactive as I can in treatment, but we're hampered by not having a clearer view of what's actually going on inside his head," Jamie responded. "Is there any way of getting him back to shore now?"

"Not at the moment, it would involve either helicopters or boats and according to Mr. James weather conditions above won't allow for a safe transfer. FS-1 has serious structural problems after that jellyfish tried to make it an afternoon snack, so it is out as well. The best I can do is turn Seaview around and haul ass at flank and we can be back in port in about 30 hours," Lee answered. "If that's what it takes to get him the care he needs, I'll take care of that right now."

Jamieson nodded. "That would be my recommendation in case things take a turn for the worse."

Lee nodded then walked to the mic on the wall and snatched it up. "Control room, this is Crane."

"James here, Skipper," came the immediate reply.

"Mr. James chart a speed course back to NIMR and then get us turned around and moving at flank," Lee ordered.

"Aye, sir, a speed course back to NIMR running at flank," Mike confirmed.

"Also, alert Med Bay to be standing by to transport the admiral once we arrive. Crane out."

Within seconds they felt Seaview's engines engage and turn hard to starboard as LT James carried out his orders. In less than a minute Lee could tell his gray lady was running full out, rushing to carry her creator home and to help.

"Is there anything else you need, Jamie?" Lee asked.

"That's about all you can do other than spending some time with Harri and letting him know you're here and we're on our way home," Jamie responded. "Have faith, Lee, he's got the same stubborn resolve you do and I can't see this taking him down. While I've got you here, let me take a look at your head, I want to see if you're cut is free of infection. Here, have a seat."

Lee sat down and Jamie carefully removed the bandage and regarded the laceration underneath. He peeled off the butterfly bandages he'd applied the day before and stared in amazement at the amount of healing that has already occurred. The bruising had almost completely faded and the cut appeared as a thin pink and white line against the captain's olive skin. He gently rubbed his finger over the scar and carefully watched Lee's face for any indication of pain.

"How's it doing?" Lee asked curiously as he regarded Jamieson's expression.

"At this rate, you're going to put me out of business," Jamie quipped. "The bruising is all but gone, and the cut looks as though it has been healing for nearly a week. This is just amazing. How are you feeling overall?"

"I feel fine, no soreness or aches like I had when I went to bed," Lee replied. "Damn, I meant to ask about Bobby and Ski when I came in. How are they doing?"

"I released Bobby and Ski to their quarters earlier this morning. With all the activity centered around the admiral they weren't going to get any rest. They'll be off duty until we get back to NIMR since we're making and immediate return. They both reported being quite stiff and sore after the rough ride you all took in FS-1 along with the expected headache. I admit I'm surprised you've already shaken off the effects. Something in that shot from the Odejaians has definitely supercharged your system for the time being. I'm going to have to monitor you closely for a while until I get a handle on what this all means."

Lee frowned and shook his head no. "I've already stated my position on that, Will. I will not become somebody's lab rat never let out of its cage. It ain't gonna happen," Lee stated emphatically.

Jamieson scowled at his captain. This type of recuperative capability was unheard of in humans and it needed to be studied and possibly replicated to the benefit of all. Given the current situation, he knew this was not the time to press his case, so he relented and let the subject drop.

"Very well, Lee. I hear what you're saying and understand your concerns and fears. Right now, we need to focus on Harri and get him back on his feet. Why don't you stay here for a few minutes and just talk to him, it's been proven time and again you each have the ability to call the other back. I'll be in the office should he need anything."

Lee gave Will a slight smile then moved his chair closer to the gurney. He picked up Harri's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Harri, it's Lee. We're on our way back home to get you all taken care of, so you have to stay with us. Once we get you back and back on your feet, we need to talk about what if anything we need to do to try and find the jellyfish that got away," Lee said quietly. "Oh, just wanted to let you know Mike did one hell of a job while we were off playing with the jellyfish. He kept command the entire time without Chip ever feeling he needed to step in. I couldn't be prouder."

Lee regarded Harri's face closely looking for any sign that he might be hearing him. His face remained relaxed and immobile. Lee leaned in closer. "Come on Harri, you need to fight hard to make it back. We have so much we have to do together and you promised we'd finish up our trip; I'm not letting you out of that one. I can't lose you now, now that I have the father I've always dreamed of," he whispered into his ear. Lee remained another 30 minutes talking quietly and letting Harri know he was not alone.

ooolo)

Needing to check on Seaview's status and their progress towards home, Lee reluctantly left Harri in Jamie's capable hands. He made his way quickly to the control room and spotted Chip up at the chart table making notations in the log.

"What's our status, Mr. Morton," Lee inquired as he approached the chart table.

"We are on course for NIMR and estimate our arrival in 28 hours at flank speed," Chip responded. "How's the admiral?"

"Not good," Lee answered. "Jamie says he's experiencing swelling of the brain and bleeding. He's got him on drugs to get that under control but without an accurate brain scan, he really doesn't know how bad the damage is. He said if he can't get that under control he may have to cut into his skull to reduce the pressure and hopefully prevent any brain damage."

"Damn," Chip replied, quietly. "It's just our luck that there's a huge low hanging over the Pacific coast stretching from southern California to mid-Baja. At least we have the fastest sub in the world to make that less of an issue."

Lee nodded, then picked up a clipboard and scanned the information it contained. "So how are you feeling, Chip?" Lee inquired.

"I'm feeling fine. Got a clean bill of health from Jamie so I'm back on full duty," Chip answered.

"That's great. Definitely need you in the rotation with Bobby out for the rest of the mission."

"How are you feeling, Lee? You went through the same thing they did, aren't you the least bit sore?"

"I'm feeling fine. I was a little sore last night when I went to bed, but that was gone by this morning."

Chip regarded Lee closely for a moment to determine if what he said was the truth. As he looked at his face, he furrowed his brow. "Wow," he said quietly. "That cut on your forehead is all but healed and the bruising is gone as well. I figured you'd be looking like a refugee from a bar fight for the next week or so. What did Jamie say about your miraculous recovery?"

"He thinks it's a leftover effect from the drug the admiral injected after we returned from Odeja. He has no idea how long it will take for it to be completely worked out of my system," Lee answered, hedging on the truth. "The carryover probably helped you when they injected you with the antivenin for the jellyfish stings."

"Well I definitely appreciate your sacrifice and allowing Jamie to tap you once again. I owe you my life, thanks."

"Anything for you, bro," Lee replied sincerely with a wink.

(o1ooo

Seaview had been running at flank for nearly 12 hours when an urgent call from Sick Bay rang over the intercom. "Captain Crane, this is Jamieson."

Lee snapped up the mic and responded immediately not liking the sound of Jamie's voice. "Crane here, what is it Doctor?"

"Would you report to Sick Bay immediately, we have a situation."

"On my way," Lee acknowledged. "Mr. James, you have the con." Lee was out the hatch and down the corridor before Mike had a chance to confirm the change in command. Seconds later, Lee arrived in Sick Bay having run most of the way.

As he entered he was greeted by a cacophony of monitors reporting that the admiral's condition had deteriorated below acceptable limits. Jamie was working frantically trying to stabilize and reverse the change, but apparently wasn't having much luck. After doing what he could, he turned around and spotted Lee standing against the bulkhead watching events unfold.

"What is it you need?" Lee asked quietly.

"Harri's condition is deteriorating faster than drugs alone can compensate for at this time. I need you to bottom the boat so that I have a stable platform from which to perform surgery. I need to cut open his skull and insert a drain to relieve the building pressure," the doctor replied.

Lee blanched somewhat at the news then nodded. He walked over to the gurney and looked down at Harri and regarded his ashen face. "Hang on sir, we're here to get you back," he whispered into his ear. "I'll see to it at once. I'll give you a call once we're down."

"Thank you. I've got everything ready to go the second you give me the word."

Lee spun on his heel and quickly exited Sick Bay trotting back to the control room. "Mr. James, I have the con."

"Aye sir," James acknowledged.

Lee rapidly scanned the chart of the area they were traversing. The bottom was flat for the most part, he released a relieved sigh at being well above crush depth, and not having to try and negotiate any sea mounts to put his boat on the ocean floor. "Engines all stop."

"Engines all stop," parroted the helmsman.

"Flood all ballast tanks, 5 degrees down bubble, take us to the bottom."

"Flooding ballast tanks, 5 degrees down bubble, aye," came the acknowledgement of the order.

Lee deftly ordered minor adjustments to Seaview's trim as the great boat settled slowly to the bottom. He had managed her descent so well, there wasn't the slightest jolt as she set down on the sea floor like a feather deposited by a breeze.

"We're on the bottom, Skipper," James confirmed.

"Sick Bay this is Crane."

"This is Jamieson."

"We are on the bottom. You may proceed with your surgery when ready. Inform me the moment we can resume our return to port."

"Yes, Captain. Jamieson, out."

Lee shipped the mic and blew out a frustrated sigh. Now they all got to wait and hope to hell Jamie could pull yet another rabbit out of his hat.

Seconds later Chip came trotting down the stairs. "What's wrong? Why are we on the bottom?"

"The admiral's condition has gotten worse and Jamieson needs to perform surgery to cut open his skull to reduce the pressure and drain the fluids on his brain," Lee replied loud enough for the entire control room to hear.

"Damn," Chip swore. "He must have gone through hell while that jellyfish shook the crap out of FS-1."

"Yep," Lee replied. "He was unrestrained the entire time so he probably pinged off every surface inside. Jamie said he was covered in bruises from head to toe. It's rather amazing he didn't suffer any broken bones."

"So how long is the surgery supposed to take?" Chip asked.

"Jamie didn't say and I didn't ask. I could tell by looking at him he's nearly at his wit's end. He's used everything at his disposal and just keeps coming up short. This is the last-ditch effort to save the admiral's life and hopefully prevent any brain damage."

Chip regarded his friend and could easily see the toll this was taking on him. "Come on, let's go have a seat in the nose. There's nothing we can do until Will's finished. Let me buy you a cup of coffee."

Lee nodded and listlessly followed Chip into the nose and claimed a seat at the conference table. They sat silently as they sipped on their coffee, both men lost to their thoughts and concerns for Nelson. The only sounds in the control room were the soft murmurs of the various machines monitoring and reporting on the boat's status.

"Captain, this is Jamieson."

Lee nearly jumped out of his seat he was so startled by the broadcast and as he looked at Chip he could tell he had been startled as well. They exchanged brief sheepish grins as Lee stood up and walked over to the mic. He stole a quick look at his watch and was surprised to see two hours had passed.

"Crane here. What news?"

"You're all clear to resume our return to NIMR, the faster the better," Jamieson replied.

"Copy that. How's the admiral?" Lee inquired.

"If you'll come down to Sick Bay I'll give you a full report on his condition."

Lee felt a wave of dismay wash over him. Had things gone as well as Jamieson had hoped he would have undoubtedly said so, so all could hear. The fact he wanted a private audience did not bode well. "I'll be there once I've got Seaview back on course. Crane, out."

He strode into the control room and immediately issued orders to resume their course to NIMR at flank speed. "Mr. James, I'm heading down to Sick Bay. Monitor the engines closely and if they begin to labor too much then cut back to full. If there are any other issues, let me know."

"Aye, sir," Mike replied solemnly.

"Come on Chip, let's go hear what Jamieson has to say."

Chip nodded and rose from the table. He followed Lee out the aft hatch and down the passageway to Sick Bay.

ooolo)

Upon entering Sick Bay, Lee and Chip noticed the admiral was no longer in the exam room, but had remained in the operating room following the procedure. There was an ominous pall in the compartment and the only sounds were the machines monitoring Harri's condition. Lee looked into Jamie's office and saw him sitting dejectedly at his desk staring at the deck between his feet.

"Jamie?" Lee said quietly.

Jamie looked up, shook his head and sighed. He waved both men in and indicated they should take a seat. As Lee claimed his chair a monstrous knot formed in his stomach and his throat felt as if it were being choked shut.

"I've done everything I can think of, and it's proving not to be enough. As fast as I make any progress something else happens to kick him ten steps back. I am so sorry, Lee. I know how much he means to you, hell means to us all," Jamie said miserably.

Both Lee and Chip sat there in stunned silence. It had never entered their minds that the indominable will and life force of Harriman Nelson could ever be stopped. They both swallowed hard trying desperately to rein in their emotions.

"How long?" Lee finally whispered.

"Hours at most," Jamie replied. "I honestly think we would have been running into these same problems even if we had been able to get him into a hospital immediately after he'd been injured. There's just so much abuse the human body can endure and given the number of concussions he's sustained over his lifetime; the internal structures had already been weakened and all it took was one more incident to tip the balance."

Lee looked up, his eyes rimmed with unshed tears. "Uh…can I sit with him for a while?"

"Sure, I've already got it set up for you. I'm sure there's still some part of him that can hear you. Talk to him, let him know he isn't alone," Jamie said, his voice cracking slightly.

"I know you did everything physically possible Jamie, that's just the person you are. We all know the risks when we climb aboard and this time Harri's number was up. Thank you for all you did," Lee responded as he squeezed the doctor's forearm reassuringly.

"Mind if I sit with you for a few minutes, Lee?" Chip asked.

"I think he'd welcome the company, I know I would. Come on," Lee said as he stood. "Jamie why don't you take a sorely needed break?"

Will looked up at his CO, tears threatening to spill over and just shook his head. "I'll be right here if you or he needs me."

Lee and Chip moved into the operating room and claimed the chairs placed beside the gurney. They talked quietly to the admiral, recalling their shared experiences throughout the years. Lee would pick up Harri's hand from time to time and give it a squeeze exhorting him to fight his way back.

After nearly an hour Chip rose from his chair. "I'm going to head on up to the control room, check on Mike and see how the engines are holding up to the extended run at flank speed. You going to be okay?"

Lee nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Since it looks as though it won't matter when we arrive, if the engines show any stress take us back to full."

"Will do," Chip confirmed. "Lee, if you need anything, I'm here for you bro. I know how much the admiral means to you and I'm here to listen or just sit. Don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

"Thanks, Chip. I'm sure I'll be taking you up on that."

Chip placed his hand on Lee's shoulder and gave it a squeeze then exited the room and pulled the accordion door shut behind him.

Once Chip had left Lee picked up Harri's hand again and gave it a tight squeeze. "I'm here with you Harri. Please don't give up, fight as long as you can, I know you can beat this," Lee said. "It never fails, as soon as I find a family something works to steal it away. Since I first met you, sir, I had often wondered what it would have been like to have you as a father. Thank you for letting me find out. It was as fantastic as I imagined it would be. I am honored beyond words to be your son. I love you, Harri." He finally lost the battle to control his tears and let them spill onto his cheeks and to the floor.

Having composed himself, Lee sat staring quietly at Nelson, his hand resting lightly on his forearm. He mentally played through all that had happened in the last few months and would smile from time to time at the best memories. As his mind moved to the current mission he was struck by a thought. He rolled it around inside his head then came to the decision to offer it up to Jamieson. He stood up exited the room, and found Jamie just where he had left him.

"Jamie?" he said quietly.

"Yes, Lee. What can I do for you?"

"I had a thought and wanted to run it by you. You keep telling me that you think I am still experiencing enhanced recuperative capabilities thanks to the shot the admiral administered. Should we test that hypothesis? What if you transfused the admiral with the plasma derived from my blood for the antivenin? I know our blood types aren't compatible, but it doesn't matter the blood type with plasma, right?"

"To what end, Lee?" Will asked, honestly. "Even if it somehow stops the deterioration of his condition, there's still a high probability that he has suffered irreversible brain damage given all he's been through. Plus, I wouldn't even know where to start."

"I honestly think it's worth a try. This may be your only chance to study the effects of that shot on another human being. You've already indicated that nothing is going to bring him back, what do we lose in making the attempt?"

Will squinted his eyes as he focused intently upon the captain. He had a point, there was nothing he could do to reverse Nelson's condition, but the thought of possibly hastening that end warred with his Hippocratic oath to do no harm. On the other hand, he had witnessed Lee's remarkable recoveries from the Odejaian torture, his encounter with the jellyfish, and most recently the rapid healing of a significant cut to his forehead.

Lee returned his stare, not flinching from his position that it was worth a chance. If what Jamie believed was true, then he represented Harri's only hope. As far as he was concerned it was worth the risk to save his father's life.

"Well? What do you think?" Lee inquired.

"There's every reason in the world to say no. It violates the tenets of my profession," he started. Lee's face began to cloud. "However, I'm never willing to give death a free hand if there is even an infinitesimal chance of success. I agree we lose nothing by trying."

Lee smiled. "Thanks Jamie. There is something you should be aware of before we go forward."

"Oh? What's that?" Jamieson inquired.

"After our return from the boat trip to Mexico, Harri made me his son and heir. I don't want you to think that I am in anyway trying to hasten his demise. I will gladly renounce everything he's given me in the event of his passing. If you want that in writing I'll give that to you now," Lee stated.

Will stood and smiled at the younger man. "Lee, it would never occur to me that you would wish Harri anything but continued good health and long life. He told me what he'd done and I told him he couldn't have made a better choice. Thank you for confirming my opinion," he said as he placed his hand on Lee's shoulder. "You do your father proud. Now come on, let's head down to the lab and see if we can find that plasma."

(o1ooo

They returned minutes later having successfully located the remaining plasma that had been processed in the production of the antivenin. Will warmed the solution slightly then hooked it up to Harri's IV line and began the flow into his body. Both men watched the admiral closely looking for any immediate negative reactions to the fluid, but Nelson's reactions and vitals remained unchanged.

"When do you think, we might get an idea this is working?" Lee asked.

Jamie chuckled. "You have as much of an idea as I do. In the best-case scenario, it will kick in immediately and begin to stabilize and then reverse his condition. All we can do is sit and watch. I'd say if he makes it until we get home, then probably there is some sort of positive effect. The biggest question won't be answered until or if he regains consciousness and we can ascertain how much brain damage he incurred."

Lee frowned slightly. "I hadn't really considered that. If this doesn't completely reverse his condition and restore him to his previous state, have I done him any favors? I would hate to have him resent me for taking away his greatest ability, his mental prowess, just so I could keep him around. I was hoping it would be something like Chip's recovery; it was so fast."

"There is a huge disparity in Harri's and Chip's injuries. In Chip's case, the antivenin stopped the reaction of the venom on his system as expected in about the usual amount of time, but it was the accelerated healing once the threat had been neutralized that was the surprise. Harri's injuries are far more significant and don't involve a foreign substance working to shut down his body; his problem is damage to his system that his own body can't overcome. This is such a last-ditch effort, we may have acted too late for the components within your plasma to be of benefit. If it does reduce his symptoms, then we'll only get our answer once he's regained consciousness."

"Captain, this is Morton."

Lee stood and picked up the mic off the wall. "This is Crane, go ahead Chip."

"Lee, the engines are beginning to show signs of stress. I'm reducing speed to full for the next hour or so."

"That's fine, Chip. What's our ETA at NIMR?"

"We are about 4 hours out. Indications are that the weather is clearing, and we could try and get a helo out here to get the admiral to the hospital."

"Copy that, hold one," Lee responded. "What do you think Jamie, is it worth it to bring a chopper out and get him home 4 hours sooner?"

"In all honesty, I don't think it will make a difference either way. I think we might even do more harm jostling him around in the exchange between Seaview and the chopper. It's your call, Skipper, I'll support you either way."

Lee sighed heavily, then depressed the button on the mic. "Let's take the admiral all the way home, Chip. Stay with full and give us a nice smooth ride."

"Copy that Skipper. Morton, out," Chip replied softly. The men listening in the control room all bowed their heads momentarily realizing things must not be going well and they were now delivering their boss home for the final time.

"Have a seat, Lee, I'll get us some coffee and we can keep watch," Jamie offered.

Lee nodded and sank down slowly onto the chair next to Harri. He reached up and placed his hand on his wrist and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Come on, Harri, I know you can lick this," he whispered.

Jamieson returned a minute later with two cups of coffee, he handed one to Lee then claimed the chair on the opposite side of the gurney. They sat in silence sipping on their drink and dividing their attention between watching the man and the monitors reporting his condition. Lee rocked slowly in his seat as he contemplated losing the man that had come to mean so much in his life.

After nearly two hours, Jamie finally broke the oppressive silence. "Well, he seems to have stabilized a bit," he offered hopefully.

"Really?" Lee asked. "Or is that just wishful thinking?"

"A bit of both," Jamie conceded with a small grin. "Hope is the best thing we've got going for us right now, so I'm going to latch onto every possible gain."

"Well if anyone can do it, he can," Lee replied.

"I need to go check on O'Brien and Kowalski before we make port. Will you be all right here?"

"Yes, go ahead and see to them. I'll keep watch," Lee answered quietly.

Jamie nodded. "Call if you need anything, Frank or John will be right outside."

"Okay. Thanks, Will."

Will patted him gently on the shoulder then exited the OR to make sure his other patients were doing well and were ready to be released once they arrived. Lee sat quietly just watching. He would reach up and take Harri's hand or touch his shoulder letting him know someone was there keeping him company.

It had been nearly an hour since Jamie had gone to check on his other patients and to take care of things before they reached port. Lee detected Seaview beginning to slow and realized they were less than 30 minutes out. He hung his head dejectedly as it seemed nothing had come of their desperate experiment testing the restorative capacities of his plasma.

As he was about to rise and check with the control room on their status, an almost relieved sigh came from the gurney. Lee turned his attention immediately back to the man on the table. He watched closely for any sign that the sigh was anything more than just a reflex action, for nearly ten minutes. Deciding that he was just grasping at straws he pushed up to his feet and moved to the mic.

"Control room, this is Crane."

"Control room here," Chip answered immediately.

"What's our status, Chip?"

"We should be docking in about 15 minutes. We're navigating the channel right now. How's the admiral doing?"

"About the same. Jamie thinks his condition has stabilized somewhat, but nothing that indicates he's getting stronger," Lee relayed.

"I'm sorry to hear that. The ambulance is already waiting for us at the dock. I've got a detail ready to move the admiral once Will is ready. I'll give you a call once we're tied up," Chip replied.

"I'll let him know when he gets back. Thanks Chip. I appreciate you taking care of things."

"Any time, you know that. Morton, out."

Lee returned to his seat and took up his vigil. He noticed several more sighs from the admiral, but just assumed it was his body trying to oxygenate his blood stream as his circulatory system shut down. "Come on Harri, don't give up," he said quietly and squeezed the admiral's hand.

A few minutes later Jamie returned having ensured Bobby and Ski were fine to go home on their own. "Any change?"

"No, not really," Lee answered. "He's been sighing from time to time."

"Sighing? Like how?" Jamie inquired.

Lee replicated what Harri had been doing at which point Jamie smiled. He immediately began checking the admiral's vitals and pulled the strip on his EEG looking for any indication of higher level brain activity.

"Is that a good thing?" Lee asked as he watched the doctor.

"Yes, I think it is. I think he's fighting his way back. It's far too early to tell at this point, but the sighing is encouraging."

Lee gave him a quick smile at his increased optimism. "Oh, Chip said he has a detail standing by to carry the admiral off when you're ready. Just let him know and he'll send them down."

Jamie nodded. "It will take about 30 minutes. If you could pass that on, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure thing. I'll get out of your way. Call me if anything changes."

"Will do, Skipper."

Thirty minutes later an honor guard stood by prepared to escort the admiral off the boat. They picked up the stretcher and solemnly marched it through the boat to the missile room where it was placed on a pallet to be raised up to the deck. Lee and Jamie joined the guard on the pallet and rode it up to find the entire crew of the Seaview on deck waiting for the admiral to go ashore.

Lee nodded his appreciation to Chip, then stepped off the pallet and led the group ashore. As they passed forward, Chip called them all to attention and issued the order for a salute. Once the admiral was ashore and placed in the ambulance, the salute was completed. Lee turned around and saluted the crew thanking them for their concern and loyalty. He then climbed in the ambulance and they departed for Med Bay.

ooolo)


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

They had been back over a week since their return and Jamieson and staff had managed to stabilize the admiral's condition although there had been no indication of any higher brain functions based on the EEG and multiple brain scans. It had been a bit of a hollow victory as most feared he had suffered irreparable brain damage and would most likely be impaired or never regain consciousness. Lee had made a point of visiting throughout the day keeping Harri company, filling him in on the activities at NIMR and reading to him from the latest thriller he had purchased. If asked, he was certain he couldn't relate what the story was about, but the act of reading helped to pass the time. As Jamie had said, hope was about the only thing left they had going for them and Lee tried his damnedest to not lose hope.

As he completed the chapter, Lee slowly closed the book and regarded the man lying motionless in the bed. He sighed in both frustration and resignation then cast his glance to the floor. "You know, you are more than welcome to wake up at any time. We're all more than a little tired of you goldbricking here as we all do the work to wrap up the mission to Mexico, figure out what our next step forward will be, and take care of daily business. You've got Will tearing out the remaining patches of his hair trying to find the secret elixir to bring you back. I hate to stroke your ego, but you are quite irreplaceable, Harri, and I really don't want to try. Plus, I really miss you, please fight your way back."

"Well, if you really insist," came a gruff and crackly voice from the bed.

Lee shot to his feet, eyes wide at the unexpected response. "Harri?! You're awake! How do you feel? Are you okay?" Lee said excitedly as he nearly jumped for joy. "Stay right there! Don't move! Let me go get Will," he added then bolted out of the room.

Harri laid there somewhat stunned by his son and captain's response. He couldn't for the life of him recall how he came to be in Med Bay and why it felt as though someone had tried to cut off his head. He reached up slowly and found his head swaddled in a bandage making him feel much like a swami wearing a turban. He also became instantly aware that his entire body felt like one huge bruise as it throbbed in time with his heart.

He could hear Lee hollering down the hallway, almost frantic, summoning Jamieson. Seconds later both Lee and the doctor returned and stared in shocked disbelief at the alert man resting in the bed. The stunned looks morphed into huge smiles the longer they stared and regarded the admiral's perplexed expression at their response.

"Admiral, how are you feeling?" Jamieson asked as he moved to Nelson's side and began taking his vitals.

Harri sighed heavily as he summoned the strength to answer the question. "Very tired, and surprisingly sore all over. What…what happened to me?"

"First off, can you tell me your name and occupation?" Jamie inquired.

After a slight hesitation, he replied. "Harriman Nelson, admiral, retired, Director of NIMR."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Harri sat quietly for a moment pulling together his thoughts trying to recall where he had been. "I think I was in FS-1 finishing up the collection of water samples around a drum dump, while I waited for Lee and his dive party to return from eradicating the jellyfish polyps. Um…then LT James called and said there was a huge jellyfish coming my way. Everything stops there," Harri related.

"Well it sounds as though your memory for current events is intact. We'll have to conduct a few tests to determine if there is any permanent damage," Will stated.

"What happened to me?" Harri inquired.

"You and FS-1 got consumed by one of those jellyfish, sir," Lee replied. "It swooped down on you and sucked you into its gullet. Seaview fired at the thing but that caused it to buck and gyrate wildly tossing FS-1 and consequently you all over the place. You've been unconscious for more than a week and have had us all plenty worried."

Harri winced at Lee's description. "I guess I'm somewhat happy to have missed that aspect of the adventure. So, what's the status of the jellyfish?" Harri asked as his scientific curiosity reasserted itself.

"We cleaned the entire lava tube of every polyp we could find, and dispatched two adults. Unfortunately, one got away, but not before Seaview and the dive party severely injured it to include slicing off its stinging tentacles," Lee reported. "Hopefully it was the only other adult, and was so injured it eventually dies because it can't go after the large prey it needs."

Harri nodded in agreement and gave Lee a weak smile.

"All right, Lee you need to leave so I can check out the admiral more thoroughly and see if there have been any lasting effects from the concussion. I've got to conduct a CAT scan and assess the condition of his brain, so go away for a few hours. I should be done by 1500." Will said as he shoo-ed him out the door.

Lee moved reluctantly out the door, but shot a quick look back at Harri and received a smile and slight nod. Lee returned the smile with one of his most brilliant ones. "I'll see you later, sir."

At 1500, Jamieson exited the room just shaking his head. Lee arose from the chair in the waiting room looking concerned at Jamieson's expression. "Something wrong, Jamie?" Lee asked as he walked over to the doctor.

"No, and that's the thing. The tears and bruises on his brain have all but disappeared, they have almost completely healed. He aced all the cognitive and neurological tests I gave him and we haven't come across any lapses or difficulty in communication. He has full mobility of his body and even the technicolor bruising is fading faster than normal," Jamieson related.

"So…you think that has anything to do with our little biology experiment," Lee replied quietly.

"There's no doubt in my mind that even using just the plasma, there is a carryover from whatever you were injected with. Whether that's a function of just the drug or if the effects are a result of the modifications it made to your liver, that can only be revealed with extensive testing."

"No," Lee replied resolutely, brooking no attempt to talk him into continued tests and research. "Did you tell him what we did?"

"No, I wanted to discuss that with you. You know he's going to add two and two together and come up with something way beyond four, that's a given. When it dawns on him how remarkable and rapid his recovery is he'll be asking some very pointed questions. Are you going to answer them, or am I?"

"I think it will be me. We've discussed this to some extent, I mean the whole rapid rate of healing so the skids are already greased," Lee replied.

"Fine, I'll back you up if he raises any questions regarding our choice to use the plasma."

"Thanks, Jamie, I appreciate that. So, can I go in and see him?"

"I'd rather you wait until tomorrow. He's out like a light right now following all the tests. Regardless of how rapidly he's healing, he's still weak and pretty well beaten up from rattling around FS-1 so the best thing for him is sleep. I would be surprised if he woke up before morning."

"Can I just look in on him? I promise I won't wake him," Lee asked.

"Sure, but only a few minutes. He's got the same unnerving ability you have to know when someone is lurking about," Jamie replied, then laughed at Lee's expression.

"There's no need for 9 lives when you know what's around you," Lee answered, waggled his eyebrows, and smiled. He then quietly opened the door to Harri's room and entered. He spent a few minutes just watching him sleep and was pleased that much of the color had returned to face and he didn't seem to be in much pain. Satisfied that he was okay, he turned and left for the evening.

(o1ooo

It was nearly 1000 by the time Lee made it to Harri's room the following morning. He had been busy talking with the Mexican Navy providing information on the drum dump and what preliminary information they had on the jellyfish. As he walked in he saw Harri lying in bed, eyes closed, breathing deeply, apparently asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, he turned quietly to go.

"Don't leave, Lee. I was just resting my eyes. I got tired of counting the ceiling tiles and the dots inside each one," Harri said.

Lee laughed at the remark as it so closely mirrored his thoughts regarding the rather ho hum ceiling of Med Bay. "I don't want to disturb you, Jamie said rest is what you need most."

Harri gave him a dismissive wave of the hand. "You're not disturbing me at all. I've had about as much rest and peace and quiet as I can stand. Please come in and sit a spell."

Lee smiled and claimed the chair near the bed. "How are you feeling, Harri? I must say you're looking a lot more lifelike."

Harri laughed out loud. "I'm definitely feeling better, almost human. I'm still playing with the headaches but each one is less intense and of shorter duration. Will hasn't come out and said it, but I'd say my recovery borders on the miraculous based on the fact you were about to dump me over the side," he replied and raised one eyebrow silently asking for confirmation of his supposition.

Lee chuckled softly. "We figured you'd pick up on that rather quickly. Will used the remaining plasma from the antivenin production to transfuse you. There was nothing else left to try on Seaview. We were weathered in on the surface so there was no way to get you back to shore and into a hospital for additional treatment," Lee explained. "I asked the question of Will and he honestly couldn't see where we would pose an additional danger to your life. I hope you're not upset. Before we went forward, I told him that you had made me your heir and that I would sign away all claims before he made the transfusion so it wouldn't appear as though I would benefit from your death should any problems arise."

Harri smiled at the total honesty of his son's answer. "No, I'm not mad. I'm thankful that you both were thinking outside the box and willing to take the chance. I'd say my recovery is validation that your exposure to the Odejaian drug has given you incredible recuperative powers and that by using your blood or plasma, you can transfer the healing effects to the recipient," Harri replied. "I guess the only question now is whether this is a permanent ability, or if it will dissipate as the injection finally works its way out of your system."

"I've already let Will know that that line of research will not be conducted. Should a situation occur where someone on Seaview is beyond Jamieson's considerable skills to save, I would pony up some blood, but that's it. It's also agreed that the donation and receipt of said blood would not be logged anywhere," Lee stated adamantly.

Harri nodded slightly as he played back the conversations they had had on the subject and realized his son's mind was most definitely made up. "I respect your decision, Lee and will make no effort to change your mind."

"I truly appreciate that, Harri. Call it my personal selfish little secret, but I feel I'm due at least a few."

"Selfish is not a term I would ever use to describe you, son. And yes, I agree we all are allowed to look out for our own self-interests especially when it potentially pertains to our quality of life, and keep our 'selfish' little secrets safe. You have more than earned that right given all you've sacrificed in service to our country and to me personally."

"Thank you, sir," Lee replied softly, then looked down at the floor avoiding his father's probing gaze.

"Now, tell me about the situation with the jellyfish you said got away," Harri said, deftly changing the subject and immediately lightening the mood.

"Yes, sir," Lee responded with a smile. "As I said, it got away, but it had been badly wounded by Seaview and the dive team. Pat managed to lop off all of its stinging tentacles before it jetted out of range, hopefully taking away its ability to hunt the prey it needs to survive. I've been doing quite a bit of research in the last week and have found no instances where jellyfish have been known to regenerate lost body parts. The literature notes that they are capable of redistributing existing tentacles to maintain symmetry to allow more efficient mobility when injured, but that's it."

"Yes, I've read that too. Luckily, we aren't dealing with mutant starfish and their ability to regrow arms," Harri replied.

Lee nodded his full agreement for that small favor. "I've been in touch with the Mexican Navy and given them the location of the drum dump. They've indicated they will go out to the site and determine what if any cleanup they will perform. They are also very much hoping to find the culprits and hold them accountable for the contamination, damage to the environment and deaths of the divers. I've also given them the preliminary information we have on the jellyfish to give them a general awareness of what may still be lurking around in their waters."

"Good to hear. I knew I had selected the right man for Deputy," Harri answered with a smile.

Lee snorted in laughter and blushed a bit. "Well here's something that will get you focused on a more rapid recovery and put an end to this continued goldbricking. When they opened up the ROV there were six live polyps in the sample tray. They are now residing in one of your specimen tanks down in your lab."

A huge smile spread across Harri's face at that bit of news. The idea of getting his hands on those critters and learning what makes them tick set his heart to racing and lit a fiery glint in his eyes. It was easy to see the gears had engaged and he was already plotting out his plans for research.

"The big question that we've all been asking, Harri, is what do you think the life span of these things is? Hopefully there were only the three adults swimming around the area and for the remaining one, with its hunting weapons gone, will starve to death in short order. But what if there was a fourth or more, how long do you think they would live?" Lee asked.

Harri considered the question for a moment as he searched through what he knew about jellyfish in general and box jellyfish specifically. "In the wild and for a normal jellyfish, the life span is pretty brief running from a few hours to a few months generally speaking. Although the larger species have lived on the order of years," Harri explained. "There are however a couple of species that are thought to be virtually immortal because of their ability to change between polyp and free swimming adult at will when food becomes limited. I just pray that this is not one of the abilities this thing as adopted."

Lee grimaced at the information. "Well that's a cheery thought. I just hope as injured as it was the one that got away will die and we will be done with this. If it has adopted an immortal life span, hopefully it will find itself to be the only one of its kind and unable to breed."

"Amen to that. We are incredibly lucky they aren't hermaphrodites and carry both sperm and eggs," Harri agreed resoundingly.

"So, Jamie give you any indication when he'll let you out of here? We still have to pick up my boat in San Diego and finish our voyage."

Harri smiled. "Well given my rapid rate of recovery, I could be out as soon as Monday. That is assuming the headaches continue to decrease in number and intensity and I show no signs of neurological impairments. I'm sure he won't let me totally out of his reach for another couple of weeks or so after that."

"Very good. I'll see to it your schedule is cleared and we will head south. I really think we're owed some R&R after this adventure," Lee replied, letting Harri know there was no way he was going to cut short his convalescence time.

"I leave it all to you, son." Harri laughed and laid back.

"As you should, sir, as you should."

Epilogue

It had never known such excruciating pain, it radiated throughout its body as it fled frantically down into the depths trying desperately to avoid the searing light. As it found itself no longer being assaulted it relaxed, exhausted by its blind flight. It was consumed by fear and up until now had never tasted of it itself, it was a sensation to avoid at all costs. With fear came despair as it could sense no others of its kind around it. It was now totally alone.

It floated listlessly in the water moving with the current surrounding it, too tired to do anything else. A growing feeling of hunger ripped through its gut having expended far too much energy in its escape. A school of tuna passed by but to its horror, it found no way to capture the much-needed meal as its weapons had been sheared away by the terrible light. Despair morphed into resignation as it hung motionless in the water.

Below it, called the welcoming dark of the ocean depths where none could see the wounded hunter. It answered the call and began to sink further into the inky reaches of the abyss. Down it went, further than ever before until it reached bottom and collapsed. A weak but insistent current pushed it along the bottom like an overgrown tumbleweed. Not wanting to move but to die in place, it spent its remaining energy and dug in as it had when it first came to be. It found security again as it latched tightly to the boulder beneath it and collapsed.

As its grip increased, it could feel its body changing again, morphing back into what it had been. As it shifted back to a simpler time, it became aware of an almost continuous shower of detritus and odd orts sifting down from the lighted regions above. It ravenously devoured the small bits of the dead and dying creatures that sifted slowly down to the bottom of the sea and began rebuilding its strength, and its body. It could feed and recover in safety, and one day maybe return to the realm of light and warmth to find that fish, but not fish, that had taken everything. It had a new insatiable hunger now, one that it had never known, revenge.

THE END?

Thank you all for reading my story and letting me know what you thought. I hope you enjoyed it even though it ran a 'little' bit long. ;o) CK


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